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Winter waste collection starts on October 29.
Food scrap carts and black garbage carts will be put out on alternating weeks until spring 2025. Make sure to check your calendar on the WasteWise app or online.
The City of Edmonton collects food scraps, garbage, recycling and yard waste from residents. Find your curbside collection schedule, learn how to set out your waste and report a missed collection.
Use the WasteWise App to find your collection schedule and get collection day reminders. Download the app on your phone or use it online.
Food scraps include all food waste, like fruit and vegetable peelings, spoiled food and plate scrapings.
They go in your green food scraps cart and are collected weekly spring - fall, and every 2 weeks in winter.
Liners are accepted, but not required. You can use paper, plastic or compostable liners.
Garbage includes food wrappers, worn-out clothing, diapers and other household waste that cannot be recycled.
It goes in your black garbage cart and is collected every 2 weeks.
Garbage carts come in 2 sizes: small (120L) and large (240L).
Recycling includes cardboard, paper, plastic containers, glass bottles and jars, metal food cans and beverage containers.
It goes in see-through blue bags and is collected weekly.
Yard waste includes fallen leaves, grass clippings and garden trimmings.
It goes in double-ply paper bags or see-through plastic bags. Yard waste is collected twice in spring and twice in fall on specific days.
Carts are collected by trucks with mechanical arms. Proper set-out allows the arm to grab, lift and replace your carts.
Place your carts on level ground (not a sidewalk or raised platform). Slopes are ok as long as carts stand steadily.
Point lid arrows toward the street or alley. Wheels should rest against the curb.
Leave 1 metre (3 feet) of clearance around each cart, and 3 metres (10 feet) above. Watch for blue bags, parked cars and overhead obstructions like eavestroughs. You should be able to easily walk around each cart.
Fully close the lids. This prevents waste from falling out of the cart when lifted.
Your collector lifts thousands of bags each day. Proper set-out keeps their work safe and efficient.
Place blue bags as close to the road or alley as possible. They should be at least 1 metre (3 feet) away from your cart.
Flatten and bundle cardboard pieces too large for a blue bag. Bundle with tape and place under your blue bag, or place pieces inside an assembled cardboard box. Keep bundles and boxes under 1 metre (3 feet) long by 0.5 metre (1.5 feet) wide.
Do not put broken glass in your recycling. It punctures bags and injures collectors. Instead, put it in a sealed box and place it in your garbage cart.
Place carts at the end of your driveway or in front of your fence. In very narrow alleys (where a full metre of clearance behind your cart is not possible), please leave 0.5 metre (1.5 feet) of space behind your cart.
Park vehicles off the street when possible. Keep carts 1.5 metres (5 feet) away from fire hydrants, so they’re visible to emergency responders.
Collection in cul-de-sacs can be challenging due limited space. Park vehicles off the street when possible. Move other obstacles, like basketball hoops and hockey nets, off the street.
If your waste was not picked up by 10pm on your collection day, please leave it out and report a missed collection.
If your cart was collected but has remaining material stuck inside, use a shovel to loosen it then set it out on your next collection day. See our tips for preventing food scraps from freezing to your cart.
Please note: we will not return to collect waste that was set out incorrectly or after 7am on your collection day.
If you find a lost cart that doesn't belong to you, please report it. Call 311 or email wastesupport@edmonton.ca.
Keep your carts safe and easy to access.
To clean carts:
The City’s waste collection trucks have Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers and cameras. RFID readers scan carts as they are tipped, while cameras take pictures of incorrect set-outs. This helps us monitor operations and troubleshoot missed collection reports. This technology is a growing trend in the industry. If you have questions about the collection of private information, please email wastesupport@edmonton.ca or call 780-496-5698.
Personal information is collected for the purpose of providing better customer service and will be used to respond to missed/delayed collection complaints. Collection is authorized by Section 33(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.A. 2000, c. F-25 (FOIP) and is protected in accordance with the Act. If you have questions about the collection, you may contact the Waste Services Customer Support Team, [wastesupport@edmonton.ca, 780-496-5698, Kennedale Administration Building, 12802 58 Street NW, Edmonton, AB, T5A 4L3].