What you need to know about Edmonton's new waste cart program

New garbage carts rolled out Monday marked the rollout of Edmonton's new garbage system in some neighbourhoods. Jeremy Thompson has the details.

EDMONTON — Around 250,000 Edmonton homes will soon receive new garbage and food scrap carts as part of a six-phase program.

If you currently have curbside collection, you should receive the new carts automatically. Delivery was scheduled to start last spring, but it was delayed by the pandemic.

Still, the city says staff used 2020 to better plan the rollout, meaning deliveries will still finish on the pre-pandemic timeline.

The $64 million change comes a year later than originally planned because of the pandemic.

“We’re expecting that it’s going to take Edmontonians about two to six weeks to get used to the new carts,” said Jodi Goebel, with the City of Edmonton.

The program builds on a two-year pilot that saw 8,000 homes in 13 Edmonton neighbourhoods test out the carts. Goebel says a few rules have been adjusted based on feedback from the testers. Compostable bags with “BPS“ and “BNQ” certification will now be allowed in the organics cart, and yard waste can be put into clear plastic bags, rather than only paper bags.

The new carts are being deployed between March 15 and Aug. 31. The city is aiming to send less waste to landfills while working towards a zero-waste future.

“The Edmonton Cart Rollout is an essential step in Edmonton's journey to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly as we grow,” said Mayor Don Iveson in a news release Monday. “These carts will allow us to reduce overall waste and accomplish a 90 per cent waste diversion from landfills — all while improving safety conditions for our workers.”

Edmontonians will be expected to separate organics into a green food scraps cart and other household refuse into a black bin. The carts are free of charge and monthly collection fees will not increase. Residents who select the smaller 120-litre cart before Oct. 14 could actually spend $4 less per month.

“It depends upon family to family, right?” one Ellerslie resident told CTV News. “I mean, I would rather go for small, and maybe other families want to go for the bigger one (240 litres).”

The new system also means less heavy lifting for the garbage collectors but the city is asking residents to fill and place their carts properly so the trucks can easily pick them up. “If you put out your old garbage bin, or you put out a bag just next to your carts, that won’t be picked up,” explained Goebel. “If the lid is super open, and the cart is overflowing, we won’t be picking that up.”

The city plans to have extra workers accompany garbage trucks the first time they collect waste in a neighbourhood that has received the new carts. They’ll educate residents on proper cart placement as they go.

Recycling is staying the same for the time being, blue bags will be collected as usual, but a blue cart could be added in years to come.

For now, the focus is getting everyone their carts and information packages delivered by the end of the summer.

Residents can also download the free Wastewise app for additional sorting tips.

More information can be found at: edmonton.ca/waste

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson