Blue Cart recycling tip of the Month
Recycle your old gadgets and electronics the right way!
Electronics recycling depots are available around the city to help Calgarians properly dispose of their old and broken televisions, printers and computers.
Never put electronics into your blue cart – they will damage the sorting equipment at the recycling facility and can harm the workers.
Find the right place to take your old electronics by visiting calgary.ca/whatgoeswhere.
Green Cart Q&A
As green carts are set to roll out this summer, here are some common questions you may have about the program.
Why are we doing this?
More than half of what’s in our garbage is material that could be composted. Composting can reduce what goes into our landfills by half and instead creates a high quality, nutrient rich compost for local gardens, parks and farms. A great video to watch is available at calgary.ca/greencart.
What if I already compost in my backyard?
Continue to backyard compost and use your green cart too. You’ll be surprised how many materials such as meat, bones, dairy, cooked foods, pet waste, tree branches can now go in the green cart.
What about smells and rodents?
We found that residents in the pilot didn’t experience an increase in pests around their carts. Collecting food and yard waste in the green cart is similar to putting them in the garbage. If your household hasn’t experienced problems with pests and food odours in the past, it’s unlikely you will with the new system. Some good practices to follow include:
Empty the kitchen pail into your green cart every 2-3 days.
Keep the lid of the kitchen pail and green cart closed.
Put your green cart out for collection every week, even if it’s not full.
Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda or vinegar in your kitchen pail and green cart.
Will compost return to the community?
Yes, some compost will be available to the community for free through community gardens and select giveaway days starting in 2018. The majority of the compost will be sold in bulk to landscape suppliers with the proceeds reducing the processing costs and lowering the program fee.
Keep an eye out for your green cart and starter kit that will be arriving this summer. A community delivery schedule is available at calgary.ca/greencart.
