Tell One Friend: Spread the Word About Carts

The way Edmontonians sort and manage waste at home is changing starting in March 2021. Residents will use carts to sort and set out their waste. 

The Edmonton Cart Rollout is the first big step in the City of Edmonton's journey to accomplish overall waste reduction and 90 per cent waste diversion through a zero-waste framework.

Waste collection will change. The new service will consist of:

• A garbage cart that will be collected every two weeks.
• Food scraps (120L) cart that will be collected weekly in spring, summer and fall and every two weeks in the winter.
• Recycling collected weekly in blue bags (no volume limits).
• Two seasonal yard waste collections in spring and two in the fall (no volume limits).

Share Your Message Effectively

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

Model the Behaviour

Tell friends, family and neighbours how you visited www.edmonton.ca/waste.

Tell folks when you downloaded the WasteWise app.

Make it Normal
Talk about how you’re looking forward to the arrival of your cart.

Offer Timely Prompts

Did you know that starting in March of this year, carts will begin to arrive at homes in Edmonton  and garbage collection will start to change?

Give Positive Feedback
Thank you for checking out www.edmonton.ca/cartrollout to learn more about carts.

Visit edmonton.ca/cartrollout

Previous Tell One Friend: Recycle Natural Holiday Trees

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

Create Memories, Not Waste

The holidays are a time to reflect, celebrate and spread joy! This year will look a little bit different in that we are asked to keep social events small in light of COVID-19. Celebrating within your household can still be meaningful and waste conscious. Whatever holiday you choose to celebrate, consider:

• Food waste; plan meals, be thoughtful with leftovers, use what you have. 
  
• Environmentally friendly and reused wrapping paper.
• Choosing gift limits to decrease consumerism and package waste.
• Making gifts from household or nature. Some ideas for the whole family.
• Gifting safe experiences. Check out this local light display event from your vehicle! 
  
• Picking quality decorations that will last several seasons.
• Donating unwanted holiday items to a local charity.
• Gifting an annual subscription or membership to a streaming service.
• Recycling right-make sure you know what goes where.

Making memories like building gingerbread houses, going sledding, decorating cookies and making an event within your household about decorating are important joy spreading, low-waste activities to help celebrate the holidays.

Choosing to buy local is also an important measure in reducing waste. Many local businesses offer local curbside pick up or e-gift certificate options. While buying online from giant retailers is enticing, there are many waste costs from transportation to packaging.

Whatever holidays you celebrate this year, be safe, have fun and find joy in unexpected places while remembering to reduce waste.

Tell One Friend: Reduce Holiday Food Waste

On average, about a quarter of Edmonton’s garbage is food waste. This amount increases significantly around the holidays, according to City waste audits. With the expectation of smaller gatherings this year, planning holiday meals is important in order to reduce food waste and not to prepare and purchase in excess. Reducing food waste starts at home. By making small changes you can divert food waste from landfill.

• Don’t buy more food than you need; have a plan.
  
• Choose a local butcher or produce supplier to buy from, when possible.
• Finish leftovers.
• Donate unused products to the local food bank.
• Get creative with leftovers, store or freeze food correctly and planning out meals all help to prevent holiday food waste.

Tell One Friend: Use a Blue Bag (not a blue box)

The City of Edmonton has encouraged blue bags for picking up recycling at the curb for many years. This year, 2020, Bylaw 18590 requires Edmontonians to put recyclables in blue bags if they want these collected at their house. Do not put items in blue boxes because it won’t be picked up.

Did you know…

Edmonton has THREE systems for recyclable items:

1. Blue bags for curbside pick-up For single-unit residences, like houses, duplexes, and some townhomes.
2. Blue bins for multi-unit buildings. Like apartments and condos.
3. Community Recycling Depots for drop-off For all local residents and small businesses.

Why blue bags?

Curbside pick-up is the easiest disposal for Edmonton residents. Blue bags are VERY helpful and that’s why most Edmontonians already use them. Blue bags:

• Protect from rain and snow, keeping items dry.
• Protect from wind, preventing litter.
• Are easy to grab for customers and waste collectors.
• Hold a lot of recycling and keep it tidy.
• Keep waste collectors moving efficiently on their route.

What about little blue boxes? Are there other options?

Waste collectors will give notices to residents who are still using blue boxes. Later in fall, waste collectors will only pick up blue bags.

Edmontonians can still use one of the 19 Community Recycling Depots across the city. They are efficient, accessible and blue bags are optional.

Blue boxes were introduced thirty years ago and they’ve outlived their usefulness for holding recyclables. They make curbside pick-up slow and inefficient. Boxes also expose paper and cardboard to rain, snow and wind. This makes the material less recyclable and causes litter.

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Spread the Message

Try these tactics to encourage friends, family, neighbours and co-workers.

Model the Behaviour

Set out your recycling in a blue bag AND make your blue bag visible. OR Tell a friend or post on social media when you take items to a Recycling Depot.

One Small Ask

Would you try setting out your recycling in a blue bag for one month?

Give Timely Prompts

“You said that you’re ordering pizza. Don’t forget to recycle the boxes; just remove the chunks.”

 

Give Positive Feedback

"Thanks for using a blue bag to set out your recycling. Did you know that almost everyone already uses blue bags for recycling?”

 

More Info

Visit www.edmonton.ca/recycling

Previous Tell One Friend: Put Pizza Boxes in the Recycling