How The Green Cart Program Works

Green cart rollout begins in spring 2017

Green carts will be delivered quadrant by quadrant starting in spring 2017. All eligible homes should have Green Cart service by fall 2017. More details on the rollout schedule will be shared in early 2017.

Who’s eligible for Green Cart service?

All single-family homes (up to and including fourplexes) will receive Green Cart service.

What will residents receive?

When carts are delivered, residents will receive everything they need to get started. This includes the following:

Green cart, the same size as the blue cart;
Kitchen pail to collect food scraps inside the home;
Starter supply of compostable bags to line the kitchen pail;
Starter supply of paper yard waste bags to use for extra yard waste that doesn’t fit inside the cart.

How does the program work?

Based on the success of the pilot, the city-wide program will be similar:

All food, including meat, dairy and bones along with yard and pet waste is accepted in the program. See a full list of what can go in the green cart.
Fill your cart first. Extra yard waste that doesn’t fit in the green cart can be put in paper yard waste bags and it will get collected too.

How often will carts be collected?

Green cart will be picked up every week so the waste that causes odours is more frequently picked up.
Blue cart will be picked up every week.
Black cart will be picked up once every two weeks on a separate day since 65 per cent of your garbage can be composted instead.

Get free reminders so you never miss a collection day: View your collection schedule online and sign-up to receive free reminders when it’s time to put out your carts.

What happens to the savings from changing Black Cart garbage collection?

Residential garbage collection (pick-up only) is supported by your property taxes. The savings achieved by changing Black Cart collection to once every two weeks will be invested into the Green Cart program to reduce the Green Cart program fee.

The Waste Management Charge on your utility bill (ENMAX) is for the costs of disposing and managing residential garbage at The City’s three landfills.

What happens to the food and yard waste after it’s collected?

All of the food and yard waste collected through the program will be composted at a large-scale indoor composting facility located at the Shepard Waste Management Facility.

What happens to the finished compost?

Most of the compost will be sold in bulk to companies such as landscape soil blenders, compost baggers and farmers. Some of the compost will be made available to the community.

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