Starting Tuesday, Edmonton waste collection schedule shifts to winter frequency

Complaints about Edmonton’s new waste program Roughly 13,000 households have had delayed collections since the program started in March, leaving homeowners frustrated with the change.

EDMONTON — Starting Tuesday, the city’s cart-based pickup schedule for food scraps will be changing to the winter collection timeline.

From Nov. 9 to March 25, food scraps will be gathered once every two weeks instead of every week like during the summer period.

During the winter collection period, recycling will still be picked up weekly with food scraps and garbage bin pickup alternating every week. Food scraps and garbage will never be picked up on the same day.

“Food scraps carts are collected less frequently in the winter as the volume of organic waste decreases in winter, and odour is less of an issue,” the city said in a statement.

“The reduced collection frequency also helps the City limit costs and keep waste rate increases low and stable.”

To ensure your bins are collected once snow falls, the city recommends clearing snow and ice away from your pickup spot and placing your cart in front of windrows or snowbanks.

“The schedule change makes it easier to set out waste as you only need to shovel space for one cart,” the city added.

To make the collection of food scrap carts easier, the city says they should be kept outdoors between collection days since liquid from wet food scraps can collect and if the bin is stored inside, those liquids freeze once the bin is placed outside, making it difficult to empty the carts.

Fall yard waste collection ends Nov. 15. To find when your yard waste collection day is scheduled visit the city's website.