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Edmonton Cart Rollout

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The Edmonton Cart Rollout began in spring 2019. Eight thousand (8,000) homes across 13 neighbourhoods were selected to participate in the program, which will soon be expanded citywide.

Due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, Waste Services is postponing the citywide rollout of the curbside organics program until 2021.

The Edmonton Cart Rollout demonstration phase will continue until the citywide rollout begins. Participants will continue to receive communication and education support.

Thank you for your continued participation in the Edmonton Cart Rollout! You are helping lead the way for the future of waste in Edmonton.

Cart Placement

On collection day, be sure to place your cart at least 1 metre away from other carts, cars or other objects. Please place your cart on level ground, with the back wheels facing towards the house or driveway.

Whether your waste is collected from the front street or alley, the end of your driveway is the best place to leave your cart, with one small difference:

For alley collection, the cart should be on your driveway, not in the alley
For front street collection, the cart should be on the road (not your driveway or sidewalk) at the end of your driveway

Placing your carts at the end of the driveway is the best way to ensure they are at least 1 metre (3 feet) away from cars and other objects.

Under the new cart-based system, each of the participating neighbourhoods will have a new collection schedule.

Your green cart will be picked up every week, switching to every 2 weeks during winter
Your blue bags will be picked up every week
Your black cart will be picked up every 2 weeks as most of your waste will now go into your green cart or blue bags
Additional yard waste will be picked up on special, seasonal collection days, twice in the spring and twice in the fall

Help Lead the Way

This new system encourages sorting of household waste and supports overall waste reduction. This will help minimize the amount of garbage sent to landfill and build a more sustainable future for Edmonton. The Edmonton Cart Rollout will help inform the 25-year waste strategy for Edmonton. This strategy was approved by City Council in September 2019.

Keep the Good News Rolling!

Participants, subscribe to receive the latest info and updates

Sign up here

Edmonton Cart Rollout Newsletter

Subscribe to the e-newsletter to get the latest information on the Edmonton Cart Rollout, and for tips to help you use the new waste system effectively.

View past issues:
February 12, 2020
January 10, 2020
November 15, 2019
September 12, 2019
September 5, 2019
August 22, 2019
July 18, 2019
May 23, 2019
April 25, 2019
April 11, 2019
March 28, 2019

Collector Concerns Tag

Why weren't my carts collected?

Informational Brochure

Everything you need to know about the Edmonton Cart Rollout!

What Goes Where Poster

Take the guesswork out of sorting your waste

Type in a waste item and learn where it goes!

2020 Edmonton Cart Rollout Collection Schedules

If you received a letter that you will be participating in the rollout, see the calendars below for your new schedule.

Brintnell/Cy Becker

Kiniski Gardens

Frequently Asked Questions

I have a 120L black cart. When can I exchange it for a 240L black cart?

Edmonton Cart Rollout participants will have the opportunity to exchange their 120L black cart for a 240L cart before the citywide rollout begins in 2021. More information will be available in early 2021. Until then, you can continue to take waste that won’t fit into your black cart to an Eco Station or leave additional black bags out for collection.

Why is the citywide cart rollout being delayed?

Specific risks include challenges with effectively inspecting new trucks that are being manufactured for the City, national and international supply chain disruptions that make the delivery of new trucks and carts unpredictable, and efforts to implement safety measures related to physical distancing that make it harder to train the City’s collectors in a timely and safe manner. As well, public participation and behaviour change are critical components of the rollout’s success, and physical distancing requirements may limit the effectiveness of a public education campaign.

Combined, these factors add up to a level of risk that is not acceptable for an already-complex project.

When will the citywide cart rollout begin?

Carts will be delivered and collected in phases, beginning in spring 2021. Residents will receive more information as the rollout draws nearer.

Will participants in the Edmonton Cart Rollout demonstration phase begin to see fines for incorrect use of carts?

We continue to be thankful to Edmonton Cart Rollout participants for the important role you continue to play. You are helping us hone our tools and processes to ensure the citywide rollout is successful. Currently, there are no plans to fine participants for incorrect use of carts. However, to ensure safe work practices for collectors and help participants learn the appropriate way to set out their waste for efficient collection, collectors are not collecting carts that are not set out correctly.

Which neighborhoods are selected to be part of the rollout?

The Edmonton Cart Rollout includes the following 13 neighbourhoods: Baturyn, Beacon Heights, Brintnell, Cy Becker, Chambery, Delwood, Ellerslie, Forest Heights, Kensington, Kiniski Gardens, Miller, Satoo and Tamarack.

Please note: There is a chance that even if you live in one of these neighbourhoods, your home may not have been selected for the rollout at this time. Homes were selected based on routes within the mentioned neighbourhoods that could be serviced with specific automated collection vehicles.

Why was my home selected (or not selected)?

Neighbourhood selection was based on a variety of factors to ensure a representative sample of Edmontonians. The routes selected were based on a number of factors such as neighbourhood design, mix of front and back alley collection routes, and collection dates. The selected neighbourhoods provide a reflection of the city as a whole.

Why are there gaps in the neighborhoods between the selected homes?

Selecting all houses in a single consecutive area would not have provided the diversity of the selected group in terms of: neighbourhood design, mix of front and back alley collection routes, and collection dates.

My home wasn’t selected, can I still participate?

Unfortunately no. The neighbourhoods in the initial rollout were selected according to be a representative sample, and collections will be conducted by automated collection vehicles along planned routes. It is not efficient to run routes based upon a voluntary system.

Will there be a fee increase with this new rollout?

No, the utility fee will remain the same. All carts and support for the program will be provided and supported with the existing utility budget.

Are there penalties for setting out my carts incorrectly?

No, not at this time. However, improper set out means that the automated collection vehicle will not be able to pick up the cart. If you are having difficulty getting your waste to the curb or lane or if your waste was not picked up, please call 780-496-5678 (Waste Hotline) to get help with proper set out instructions and pick up.

If my current collection is from the back alley but the carts were delivered in the front, will my carts be collected from the front street?

If your current collection is from the back alley, your carts will also be collected from the back alley. We are not contemplating changes to this in the near term.

I don’t want to participate. Can I opt out?

As of March 11, 2020, Waste Services is not processing any new requests to opt out of the Edmonton Cart Rollout.

The new Waste Bylaw (18590) supports this action (Part III, Sections 13 and 14)
Residents who have already opted out will have this status maintained until their neighbourhood is incorporated into the citywide cart rollout.
- Residents who have previously opted out can still request to opt back in.
The new way of sorting and collecting waste requires residents to do more to increase waste diversion, but these changes are manageable for most typical households. For Edmontonians who find the changes difficult to manage, the Assisted Waste Program is available to help.

Where are organics going? Any to landfill? What if the COVID situation gets worse?

Diverting source-separated organics from landfill is a top priority for Waste Services. Organics collected as part of the Edmonton Cart Rollout are currently being processed at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre’s outdoor compost cure site. Waste Services has a business continuity plan in place to ensure all residents continue to receive a basic level of service. If it becomes necessary to implement the most extreme business continuity measures, it’s possible that organics from the Edmonton Cart Rollout will go to landfill.

Currently, there are no significant changes to how waste is being collected or processed, and organics from the Edmonton Cart Rollout are being diverted from landfill.

How will changes to the citywide cart rollout impact the demonstration phase?

Currently, there are no expected impacts to residents participating in the cart rollout pilot. As originally planned, the demonstration will continue until the implementation of the Edmonton cart rollout.

Has the Edmonton Cart Rollout demonstration phase had an impact on the single-unit waste diversion rate?

In 2019, about 1,550 tonnes of organics were collected over almost 8 months. These organics were processed at the cure site and in the Anaerobic Digestion Facility (ADF). We expect to continue diverting these organics from the landfill.

The purpose of the demonstration phase is not to increase diversion. The purpose is to learn more about factors that could affect the success of the citywide rollout, such as contamination rates in different waste streams, appropriate methods of communication and education and processing requirements for organic waste.

What if my cart is damaged?

If your cart is damaged or missing, please contact the Waste Hotline at 780-496-5678.
Your cart may need to be repaired or replaced if:
The lid or hinges are missing or damaged
The lid does not close properly
The body of the cart is cracked or deformed in any way
The wheels are missing or broken

What if my cart goes missing?

Each cart is equipped with a unique barcode associated with the address it was delivered to. Please report lost or found carts to Waste Hotline (780-496-5678). The situation will be investigated and carts replaced as needed.

How should I clean my cart?

Cart cleanliness is the responsibility of the resident. If your carts need cleaning, rinse your cart with a hose and pour the water on the grass or gravel, being careful that the dirty water does not enter the storm drain. In winter, try mixing 1 part vinegar and 3 parts hot water to help clean the surface and remove odours. Be careful not to empty water onto driveways, sidewalks or walkways, where it could freeze and create hazardous conditions.

If material gets stuck inside the cart, use a broom or shovel handle to loosen it. To ensure food waste does not become lodged or frozen to the base of the cart, you can place crumpled up newspaper at the base of your green cart.

How do I clean my kitchen pail and keep my green cart from getting smelly?

To clean your kitchen pail, rinse it with hot water or place it inside your dishwasher.

You can mix one-part vinegar and three-parts boiling water as this helps clean the surface and removes the fly-attracting odours. In addition, you should ensure that your green cart remains fully closed at all times.

To reduce odours, we recommend you store your cart in a shady spot, out of direct sunlight.

To ensure food waste does not become lodged or frozen to the base of the cart, you can place crumpled up newspaper at the base of your green cart.

If your carts need cleaning you may rinse your cart with a hose and pour the water on the grass or gravel, being careful that the dirty water does not enter the storm drain. If material gets stuck inside the cart, you may use a broom or shovel handle to loosen it. To clean your kitchen pail, rinse it with hot water or place it inside your dishwasher.

Can I use a liner in my green cart or kitchen pail?

We encourage residents to not use a liner in their green cart or kitchen pail. If a liner is desired, the liner should be paper (preferably newspaper, paper towel, a paper bag or shredded paper). No plastic of any kind including plastic bags or compostable bags are allowed in the green cart.

Can I use compostable bags?

Compostable or biodegradable bags are not accepted in the green cart as the requirements for breaking down these products which are marketed as "certified compostable products" are very specific and require exposure to extreme temperatures for an extended period of time. Since these requirements are difficult to meet, the remains of these bags would compromise the quality of the final compost product and therefore cannot be accepted.

Can I throw in shredded paper, paper towels, newspaper, tissues (Kleenex), and wood waste (popsicle sticks) in the green cart?

It is recommended to put shredded paper, tissues, paper towels and wood waste, such as popsicle sticks, in your black cart. Newspaper and paper inserts can go in the blue bags recycling.

Small amounts of newspaper or shredded paper can be used in the green cart as a liner.

For More Information

Waste Hotline

Telephone	780-496-5678
Email	wasteman@edmonton.ca

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