GREEN CART PROGRAM WORKING, SAY CITY OFFICIALS
Composting program continues to divert household waste away from the landfill
Nearly half of all household waste in Calgary is being reduced, reused and recycled due to the city’s green cart program.
The city is marking the first anniversary of its green cart composting program, and Laura Hamilton, waste diversion specialist with the city, said Calgarians are still producing the same amount of household waste.
But 46 per cent of rubbish has been steered away from landfills thanks to the green carts, Hamilton said.
The city finished rolling out the green bins to single-family homes last October, and Hamilton said more than 111 million kilograms of compost has been collected so far.
That’s about 30 per cent more than the city projected.
“I think we can say we’re becoming leaders in how we can divert waste from the landfills and we’re doing a great thing,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton said composting is a green alternative to building a new landfill, which could cost upwards of $1 billion.
The finished compost is sold to the agriculture sector and landscape soil blenders, with five per cent available to Calgarians.
Selling the compost helps offset the green cart program’s roughly $37-million annual price tag, with about half of funds allocated to collection and about one-third for plant operations.
In May, the city held its first compost giveaway event at the city’s Shepard composting facility, and Hamilton said more than 13,000 people took advantage of it.
A city survey in the spring found 95 per cent of Calgarians support using the green carts and 86 per cent are satisfied with the program.
Not all household waste can break down into compost, and Hamilton said educating Calgarians on how to properly use the bins is still front of mind for the city, adding many people are still confused about what waste can go in which bin.
“Using compostable bags is the No. 1 thing we’re focusing on, not the biodegradable bags, not plas- tics bags,” she said. “Make sure you’re shopping for certified compostable bags, and those will break down in our system.”
Food waste — including bones, plate scraps, cooking oil, soiled paper plates and coffee grounds — should be put in compostable bags and left in the green cart. Even used tissues and pet waste can be bagged and put in the green bin.
Yard waste, including leaves, pine cones, grass clippings and weeds, can be put loose inside the cart.
If your cart is full, the city recommends filling paper yard waste bags no heavier than 20 kilograms and placing them away from the side of your green cart for pickup.
Multi-family residences, like apartments and condos, are also able to participate in the composting program.
“It’s a change, we all have to change our habits, and I think Calgarians have really started to settle in and figure out what works best for them in their own homes,” Hamilton said.
Calgarians currently pay $6.50 per month for green cart pickup.
Earlier this year, the city scheduled winter green cart pickup to an alternating weekly schedule — just like the black garbage cart — after data showed Calgary’s food and
yard waste dropped from a peak of 12,000 tonnes in October to 5,000 tonnes in December.
Check the city website for more details on the program and any changes in the schedule.