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

  

International Volunteer Day is Coming Up!

December 5 is International Volunteer Day! We thank you for all of your amazing work as an MCR this past year. This year, Waste Services wants to hear why you volunteer and/or your peer to peer recognition story.

Tell us here.

From your stories, we will fill out one of the two slips below, post them on a wall in our offices and share them in future newsletter editions.

If you also volunteer at the Reuse Centre, pop in there to take a photo for their photo-wall.











For more information visit Volunteer Canada or UN General Assembly

                                

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