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

Spread the word! From Sept. 29 to Nov. 9, all four Eco Stations will be open 7 days a week from 9am to 6:30pm.

This gives residents extra opportunities to drop off grass, leaves, and yard waste for FREE. Extended hours also make it more convenient for Edmontonians to drop off household hazardous waste, batteries and more at no cost.

On November 10, Eco Stations will transition to regular winter hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 9-4:30pm.

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Share Your Message Effectively

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

Model the Behaviour

Show friends and family how you sort and take items to an Eco Station.

Make it Normal

Post photos off your Eco Station trip on social media highlighting the extended hours and dates.

Offer Timely Prompts

Did you know that dropping of your grass and yard waste to an Eco Station along with household hazardous waste can happen 7 days a week? All free of charge. 

Give Positive Feedback

"Now you can take your Eco Station items in, 7 days a week."

Visit edmonton.ca/ecostations

Previous Tell One Friend: Prepare Your Autumn Leaves

  

Enjoy more time and less waste at Eco Stations this fall

The City's four Eco Stations will be open seven days a week from September 29 to November 9. Drop off items like yard waste and household hazardous waste, free of charge, daily from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Extended hours make it more convenient to divert waste from the landfill by using your local Eco Station.

Yard waste can be dropped off at an Eco Station for composting when these guidelines are followed:

• Yard waste (leaves, twigs, branches, fallen fruit, dead plants, grass) is loose or in a paper yard waste bag;
• Branches are no more than 4 feet long and 2 inches in diameter.

Items that can't be recycled or composted, such as some types of household hazardous waste, are disposed of properly to minimize the risk to people and the environment. For a full list of accepted items, please see here.

On November 10, Eco Stations will transition to regular winter hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Visit edmonton.ca/ecostations

Dishing the Dirt on Compost Week 2018

Did you know that composting at home is a great way to reduce waste and improve lawns, gardens, and flowerbeds? Nutrient-rich compost builds soil and promotes healthy plant growth.

International Compost Awareness Week, May 6 to 12, is the perfect time to wake up your compost after a long winter or to start composting for the first time. The City offers the following to help residents learn about home composting:

• Learn the basics in one of our two-hour workshops, just $10 for the whole family, at Compost 'S cool, located near John Janzen Nature Centre. To register for workshops, visit edmonton.ca/eReg or call 311.
• Join us live on the City Facebook page Thursday, May 10 at 12:30 p.m. as we ask our resident compost expert about tips and tricks for starting and maintaining a healthy compost. Viewers are encouraged to ask questions in real time.
• Meet staff and volunteers for a Compost Coffee Break on Saturday, May 12, at Mandolin Books & Coffee Co. (6419 112 Avenue). Chat about home composting, ask questions, relax and enjoy a discounted coffee.
• Ask the Compost Doctor! Call 780-496-5526 or email compost@edmonton.ca with your basic or advanced compost questions.
• Follow @CompostScool on Facebook for pointers, tips, and news about special events. You can also subscribe to Keep Composting, a e-newsletter for composting tips and answers to frequently asked questions.

Visit edmonton.ca/compost for more information.

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Myth or Fact: Bare Soil Before Winter

"Should my soil be clean and bare, so it can breathe over winter?"

Myth! A thin layer of mulch over your garden beds will help keep the soil alive and well in the cold winter months. Bare soil is dying soil. Many of us are busy preparing our yards and gardens for winter. We tend to rip everything out of the garden and leave our bare soil to endure the harsh winter ahead. This is not the best thing to do. Mulch is a layer of organics (often wood chips or chopped up plant material from pruning) that will break down over time and help the soil stay alive. Soil can breathe easily through the mulch. A good mulch layer protects the soil from the cold winds that would dry out bare soil and kill soil microbes. Mulch also protects the soil from snow cover during winter, providing warmth and keeping moisture in. Mulch it up! The cheapest and easiest way to get mulch is to gather prunings from your garden clean-up, cut them up into 2 - 5 cm pieces, and scatter them over your garden soil to create a protective layer. Smaller pieces will break down more quickly into the soil. You can also use wood chips, but these are often harder to find and will take a while to break down depending on the size. During the gardening season, you can also add grass clippings as a mulch to protect your soil while the garden is in use. By mulching your soil you will be protecting it from the wind allowing soil microbes to thrive helping the soil to stay moist Want to learn more? Visit edmonton.ca/compost Subscribe to Keep Composting to get compost information delivered straight to your inbox, just 4 times per year.  Image source: Senior Gardening