Tell One Friend: Recycling Natural Holiday Trees

 8,570 trees, weighing more than 95 tonnes, were collected in 2020 for composting. Residents are asked to place their un-bagged, natural tree on its side and next to their garbage bags or carts by 7 a.m. on Monday January 11, 2021. Trees will be picked up until January 31, but not necessarily on your regular waste collection day. Please ensure the tree remains clear of snow and ice for ease of pick up.

For trees to be acceptable for composting, all ornaments, tinsel, garlands, nails, screws and
tree stands must be removed. Large trees should be cut into two-metre (6.5 foot) lengths.

Apartment and condo residents are asked to take their natural Christmas trees to a community Recycling Depot or an Eco Station for free until Saturday January 30, 2021. Trees should not be placed in or beside apartment recycling or waste bins. More information and guidance for artificial trees can be found here. 

Share Your Message Effectively

Try these tips to connect with friends, family, neighbours and co-workers.

Model the Behaviour
Set out your natural Christmas tree by 7 a.m. on Monday, January 11, 2021, free of decorations and lights.  

Make it Normal
Would you set out your natural Christmas tree by 7 a.m. on Monday, January 11, 2020, ensuring that the tree free of decorations and lights for composting?

Give Positive Feedback
"Thanks for setting out your natural Christmas tree on time; free of decorations and ready for collection and compost by the City of Edmonton.”

Visit edmonton.ca/christmastrees

Previous Tell One Friend: Reduce Holiday Food Waste

Tell One Friend: Unwanted Holiday Decorations and Trees

As part of reducing holiday waste, it is important to take responsible action for unwanted Christmas trees and decorations.

• Holiday lights that no longer work and anything with a cord or battery can be dropped off at an Eco Station.
• Artificial trees and decorations, in good condition can be donated to the Reuse Centre. If items are not in good condition, drop them off at an Eco Station free of charge.
• Set out your natural Christmas tree for collection (with ornaments, hardware and tree stands removed) beginning on January 9. Trees will be collected by the end of January. 
• Apartment and condo residents can take their natural trees to a community recycling depot or Eco Station, free of charge. 

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Share Your Message Effectively

Try these ideas to connect with friends, family, neighbours and co-workers.

Model the Behaviour

Show friends and family how you intend to reuse holiday decorations of dispose of unwanted ones; keeping usable items out of the landfill.

Make it Normal

Have conversations with friends,family, neighbours and co-workers about what can be done with unwanted holiday decorations. 

Offer Timely Prompts

Encourage friends and family by sharing your reuse and disposal tips for unwanted holiday decorations and trees.

Give Positive Feedback

"You're keeping usable holiday decorations out of the landfill and providing an item that someone else can reuse, nice work."

Visit edmonton.ca/wastelessholidays

Previous Holiday Waste Collection Changes

 

Holiday Waste Collection Changes

The City of Edmonton has made the following changes to its waste collection schedule.

There is no waste collection on Wednesday, December 25, 2019, and Wednesday, January 1, 2020. If your waste collection falls on these dates, your waste will be collected on Monday, December 23, 2019, and Monday, December 30, 2019, respectively.

All other collection days remain the same and collectors will be working as usual, including Boxing Day.

The City encourages residents to help make collection easier by clearing ice and snow away from collections areas and spreading sand on icy areas. Heavy and bulky items cannot be collected through residential collection and should be taken to Eco Stations. Residents can also drop off holiday items such as decorations, artificial Christmas trees and interior lights at the Reuse Centre if they are in good condition.

Residents can try the free WasteWise app to help them sort their waste.

Visit edmonton.ca/wastecollection

Create Memories, Not Waste

Tricks and tips on how to reduce waste during the holiday season.

The holiday season is a special time. We search for the perfect gifts for loved ones, wrap them, decorate, and celebrate with food, drink and endless cheer.

While traditions are important, it’s also important to be mindful of our waste during the holiday season. Did you know Edmonton household garbage nearly doubles during this time of year?

“There are so many gifts to give that don’t produce garbage,” says Rodney Al, Master Composter Recycler Program Coordinator. “I encourage people to consider less wrapping and more reduction.”

This year, try giving the gift of experience. Take in a concert with a friend, sign you and a loved one up for a cooking class, or enjoy a dinner out, your treat! You can even gift someone an annual subscription to a streaming service or consider donating your skills or time to the recipient’s favourite charity.

Not in to giving experiences? Embrace your skills and come up with something creative like crocheted mittens, a scarf or blanket. Another great gift is food or baked goods. Bake your loved one some cookies or gift your friends a jar of homemade salsa or jelly. Homemade gifts and food are always more personal and sentimental.

If you plan to give a gift that requires wrapping, try to make the wrapping part of the gift. Wrap the gift in a nice scarf, bandana, kitchen towel or shawl. You can also use scrap fabric leftovers from other projects or find some at the Reuse Centre or a local thrift store.

Lastly, donate holiday items you no longer need to the Reuse Centre, or purchase as many holiday items as you need for only $5 (up to 25 kg) including artificial trees, decorations and gift wrap.

Be sure to share your favourite holiday waste reduction tip on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, using the hashtag #WastelessHolidays, and you could win 1 of 10 wasteless prizes.

Visit edmonton.ca/wastelessholidays

Tell One Friend: Wasteless Holidays

The holiday season is filled with decorations, parties and presents, but all this festivity can lead to an increase in waste. In fact, in the two weeks following December 25, the City of Edmonton collects almost twice the amount of waste compared to early December.

There are many ways to reduce waste during the holidays this year, including:

• Planning out festive feasts to reduce leftovers, and send food home with guests.
• Giving waste-friendly gifts, like experiences.
• Decorating for lasting memories by picking quality decorations, or making your own with items from the Reuse Centre.
• Recycling right! Use WasteWise to determine what waste can be recycled, online at edmonton.ca/waste or download the app.

Find more great tips at edmonton.ca/wastelessholidays!
Share how you are reducing your holiday waste by using the hashtag #WastelessHolidays and you could win prizes! To enter retweet, share or comment on a City of Edmonton Wasteless Holidays post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Read through our contest rules to make sure your entry counts. 
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Share Your Message Effectively
Try these tip to connect with friends, family, neighbours and co-workers. 

Model the Behaviour

Show friends and family how you put your wasteless holiday tips and tricks to action. 

Make it Normal

Post photos on social media documenting your wasteless holiday traditions.

Offer Timely Prompts

Encourage your friends and family to share their wasteless holidays tips and tricks on social media. Encourage them to enter the social media contest too!

Give Positive Feedback
"You're helping to reduce holiday waste this year, great job!"

Visit edmonton.ca/wastelessholidays

Previous Tell One Friend: Reduce Holiday Food Waste

  

Tell One Friend: Reduce Holiday Food Waste

On average, Edmonton's garbage contains around 22 to 26% food waste. The amount of food waste found in Edmonton's garbage increases significantly around the holidays, according to City waste audits. Getting together with friends, co-workers and family during the holidays often involves food. With an abundance of food, food waste is a likely possibility around this time of year.

Getting creative with leftovers, encouraging guests to bring their own reusable containers to take home food, storing or freezing food correctly and planning out meals all help to prevent holiday food waste.
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Share Your Message Effectively

Try these tips to connect with friends, family, neighbours and co-workers.

Model the Behaviour

Encourage those who will be taking part in the meal to help plan out the food.

Make it Normal

Talk about preventing food waste while enjoying a shared meal and simple ways to prevent it.

Offer Timely Prompts

Did you know that a well planned out holiday meal is sometimes all it takes to prevent food waste?

Give Positive Feedback

Thank you for taking home and eating leftovers. You have prevented food waste!


Visit edmonton.ca/foodwaste

Previous Tell One Friend: Eco Stations, Open 7 days a week

  

Christmas Tree Collection Starts January 9

The City will start collecting natural Christmas trees on Tuesday, January 9, 2018. Trees will be picked up for recycling within three weeks of this date, but not necessarily on residents' scheduled waste collection days.

Residents are asked to:

• Set natural Christmas trees out for collection by 7 a.m. on Tuesday, January 9, 2018.

• Place their un-bagged tree on its side next to garbage bags.

• Cut extra-large trees into two-metre (approximately six-foot) lengths.

• Remove all ornaments, tinsel, garlands, nails, screws, and tree stands, so that the trees are acceptable for composting.

Apartment and condominium residents can take their natural Christmas trees, free of charge until January 31, 2018 to:

• One of the City's Community Recycling Depots (place the tree next to the entrance or exit of the depot and make sure it does not block access).

• One of the City's four Eco Stations (staff will guide you to where you can place your tree).

Christmas trees should not be placed in or near apartment garbage or recycling bins.

In 2017, the City collected 10,779 trees, weighing over 115 tonnes, for recycling. Trees are chipped and composted at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre. The City uses the wood chips to make various types of compost for horticulture, agriculture, and land reclamation.

The Reuse Centre accepts articial tree donations, as long as the tree is in a box and includes all parts. The donated trees are made available for purchase by organizations and individuals for reuse.

Visit edmonton.ca/WastelessHolidays for more information.

     

Tell One Friend: Donate Christmas Décor to the Reuse Centre

During the holiday season, the Reuse Centre offers tonnes of Christmas items to happy shoppers. Shoppers really like them. Donate items like gift wrap, ornaments, new and used cards, and artificial Christmas trees.

Now is a great time to donate Christmas items and Christmas décor to the Reuse Centre. They will store it and sell it next year.

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Prompt your friends, family, neighbours, and co-workers.

Model the Norm
"I have too much Christmas stuff at home. We are collecting some items to donate to the Reuse Centre.
How about you?”

Prompt Them
"I see you have these Christmas cards, wrapping paper, and ornaments. Put them in your Eco Station box.
Did you know that the Eco Stations take donations for the Reuse Centre, too?”

One Small Ask
"Will you donate this Christmas decoration to the Reuse Centre? You will make someone really happy next fall. And that’s the spirit of the season.”

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All that new stuff from the holiday season can be a challenge. Make some space by bringing even more items to the Reuse Centre. Donate these items too.

Lots of other organizations that take donations for reuse. You can find suggestions on the Reuse Directory.

Visit edmonton.ca/reusecentre for more about the Reuse Centre.
Next Tell One Friend: Put Styrofoam in the Garbage
Previous Tell One Friend: How to Have a #WastelessHolidays

     

Wasteless Holidays in Edmonton

Did you know that the Edmonton Waste Management Centre sees a huge spike in waste around the holiday season? Encourage friends and family to reduce, reuse and recycle this season, and help us give Edmonton a wasteless holiday!

Wasteless gifts

• Give experiences and share memories! Gift concert tickets, plan an outing, or take a friend for a nice dinner.
• Donate your time and energy to a special someone's favourite charity, or make a donation in their name.
• Gift consumables you know will be used or eaten. Look for products with minimal packaging.
• Have a re-gift exchange, where everyone brings an nice item that they no longer use instead of purchasing new.

Wrap gifts in fabric, and use old cards to make gift tags.

Reused wrapping

• Wrap gifts in reusable materials like fabric, and save them for use next year.
• Make the wrapping part of the gift! Use a pretty shawl, handkerchief, scarf or a tea towel instead of wrapping paper.
• Use newsprint, magazine pages, or flyers to wrap gifts.
• Reuse paper gift bags from gifts you've gotten.
• Make gift tags out of old holiday cards.

Get creative with your holiday decorating!

Decorating

• Get creative, and decorate with reused items.
• Donate unwanted holiday items, and shop second hand for new-to-you decorations! Visit the Reuse Centre and bring home up to 50 kg of holiday items for just $5, including gift wrap, decorations, and even artificial Christmas trees!

Food waste

• Send party guests home with leftovers, so you don't end up with a fridge full! Keep containers or bags on hand for quick and easy packaging.
• Keep a list of post-holiday recipes that will help you use up leftovers. 
• Donate unopened goodies to a food bank.
• Portion leftovers into small containers and freeze them for later use. Chop up meats and veggies before freezing so you can toss them directly into soups, casseroles, and other recipes.

Visit edmonton.ca/wastelessholidays for more inspiration.

Share your holiday waste reduction ideas using the hashtag #wastelessholidays on social media.

Photos provided by the City of Edmonton Reuse Centre

Natural Christmas Tree Collection Starts January 9

The City of Edmonton will start collecting natural Christmas trees on January 9, 2015. Trees will be picked up for recycling within three weeks of this date, but not necessarily on residents’ scheduled waste collection days.


Residents are asked to:

• Set natural Christmas trees out for collection by 7 a.m. on Friday, January 9
• Place their un-bagged tree on its side next to their garbage bags
• Cut extra-large trees into two-metre (six-foot) lengths
• Remove ornaments, tinsel, garlands, nails, screws and tree stands, so that they are acceptable for composting 

Apartment and condo residents should take their natural Christmas trees to a Recycling Depot or to one of the City’s three Eco Stations free of charge by January 30. Christmas trees should NOT be placed in, or near, apartment garbage or recycling bins.

Click here for more information

What Goes Where: Dealing with Holiday Waste

The City of Edmonton is asking residents to put their holiday waste where it belongs: food waste in the garbage, paper and boxes in the blue bag, and electronics to the Eco Station.

“Edmontonians are avid recyclers and generally put the right items in their blue bags,” said Laura Henderson, a social marketing coordinator with Waste Management Services, “but with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, we see an increase in non-recyclables ending up in blue bags.”

Paper, cardboard boxes, plastic bottles and jars, aluminum cans and trays, and glass bottles and jars should go in blue bags or apartment blue bins. Old electronics, strings of broken Christmas lights, food and Styrofoam are some things that should never go in a blue bag.

“Anything with a battery or cord should be taken to an Eco Station,” said Henderson. “Electronic waste and batteries contain toxic elements and should always be brought to an Eco Station for proper disposal.”

Keeping toxic elements out of the regular waste stream is better for the environment and ensures a high-quality compost product. The organic portion of Edmonton's garbage is turned into compost.

For more information about dealing with holiday waste, including which items should be taken to an Eco Station, please visit edmonton.ca/wastelessholidays or call 311.

Dreaming of Waste-Less Holidays

Edmontonians have been busy using social media to share ideas on how they reduce the amount of waste they produce during the holidays.

This social media conversation was sparked by a waste-less holidays contest organized by the City of Edmonton. Residents were invited to participate by sharing creative, useful and fun tips though the City’s Twitter account, Facebook page and Transforming Edmonton blog.

The contest got Edmontonians talking about simple ways they can embrace the holidays while being conscious of the waste produced.

Here are some of the ideas we’ve heard on how to reduce holiday waste:
Rethink the way you package your presents: consider using a scarf, festive flyers or cookie tins. Reuse wrapping materials and decorations.
Give waste-friendly gifts such as a shared experience or homemade baking; donate your skills and time to a charity.
Avoid food waste: plan your food and donate unopened treats to the food bank.
After the holidays make sure you recycle boxes, paper (including all non-foil gift wrap), plastic and glass bottles and jars, and cans and aluminum trays.

During the holidays, Edmonton’s waste volumes double. The City encourages residents to reduce, reuse and recycle to minimize the amount of waste.

Submission deadline has been extended until midnight MDT on Thursday, December 19th, 2013.

Check out the contest and what your fellow Edmontonians are doing to reduce their holiday waste by visitingedmonton.ca/wastelessholidays.

Have yourself a merry little MCR Holiday by MCR Suzanne Dennis

Christmas is just around the corner! How did THAT happen? Seems like just yesterday the 2012 MCR class graduated! 

I LOVE christmas, but HATE garbage. According to Statistics Canada,  900,000 tons of garbage is produced annually between Thanksgiving and Christmas!

That is REE-DONC-U-LOUS! 

Instead of buying more stuff, spending tons of money, and wasting our precious resources try some of these ideas:

keep it local

Save resources and support your friends & neighbours by shopping at local stores; good for the environment & the community.
live-local.ca

christmas cards

I don't send or use Christmas cards often, but when I do, I source them from Value Village. There are always bags of unused cards (with their envelopes), hanging on the wall. Never the same selection twice, so it’s kind of fun to see what you can get!  Who doesn’t "love the thrill" of the thrift store search? You can also get used cards from the Reuse Centre!
valuevillage.com

edmonton.ca/reuse

gift-wrap

I rarely use paper to wrap gifts, but if I do need some I source it from the Reuse Centre. It is simply amazing to me what people give away, & remember all you can carry for $5.
edmonton.ca/reuse

reused wrappers

Think outside the box for this one! I haven’t thrown a bag or container away since MCR graduation. 

• chip/cracker bags turned inside out make fantastic gift bags – shiny & festive
• any bag that contained foodstuff can be used again to give away homemade goodies….it is sort of fun to give away baking in a large rice bag for example!
•  jars of all shapes & sizes make great containers for my home-made goodies
• cool mailing containers from liquor sleeves
•  coffee cans scavenged from work make a great container once they are painted or papered

re-gifting & thrifting

I have NO PROBLEM re-gifting & thrifting presents for my family & friends.  I do realize this is a personal decision and I will state for the record that I would never re-gift/thrift with anyone and pretend it was new stuff; cuz that just sounds like a SEINFELD episode plot line!  Nothing tickles my fancy more than knowing my re-gift or thrift gift will make someone else happy J  ...and of course its saves me tons of $$$$!

 volunteer

Who needs more stuff anyway? Some of my best Christmas memories have been made while volunteering with family & friends to make someone else’s Christmas special. Collecting donations, serving a meal, and helping at food bank concerts are fun & festive volunteer opportunities.
christmasbureau.ca
theseed.ca/christmas-edmonton
salvationarmy.ca/alberta

 christmas light tour

The City of Edmonton has a FANTASTIC program where staff volunteers drive a bus around town to view Christmas light displays at candy cane lane, legislative grounds and the museum. Tickets are only a $3, fun & hi-jinx are free! Depending on the transit volunteers and your fellow passengers you could be involved in a Christmas carol sing-a-long, a stand-up comedy show, or a family style get-together complete with crazy aunts and snoring uncles.  Santa has even been known to make an appearance! Never the same tour twice, and great for all ages and mobilities. Bring your favourite beverage in a to-go cup, grab the gang and book a seat. 
edmonton.ca/transportation/ets/seasonal_events_attractions/ets-christmas-light-tours

gifts

I have made a pledge this year to give nothing but consumables. I know how to cook, so I am making foodie foodster gifts. I do wish I could knit, sew, craft, build, write, or carve something, but I will have to leave that you!

share a tree

If you live in a multi-family dwelling do you all need your OWN tree?  Of course you don’t!  Share with your neighbours and friends.  One tree per floor, one tree for the whole building, or better yet NO TREE at all!

reuse a tree

You can also find trees and ornaments at the Reuse Centre. If you don't want to store a tree all year donate it after the holidays and pick up different Reuse Centre tree each year.

 recycle that tree!

If you do have a tree please make sure that it is recycled properly. Did you know: approximately 13,456 trees, weighing 167 tons, were collected for recycling in January 2012. The trees were chipped and composted at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre.
edmonton.ca/christmastrees

  

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year – but unfortunately also the most wasteful.

"time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. you can make more money, but you can't make more time. when you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back.  that is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.”

quote from Rick Warren, (author of A Purpose Driven Life – What on Earth am I Here For)

I wish for you a very Happy Holiday, wonderful times with your friends, family & neighbours, and minimal contribution to our landfill. 

@redworm_mama

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City of Edmonton Master Composter Recycler 2012, (#yegmcr) doing my best 2 reuse, recycle, reduce, & compost while I raise my #yeg redworm family!