Green Organics Cart

Your Green Organics Cart is collected on your household's designated waste collection day:

• Every week from April to the end of October
• Every two weeks from November to the end of March

Please refer to the Collection Schedule for specific details.

• Please do not place any non-compostable material (such as plastic bags or metal) in the Green Organics Cart as it degrades the quality of compost and could even result in a rejected collection.
• For the safety of our staff and equipment, please ensure the cart weighs no more than 200 lbs (90 kg). Green Organics Carts are not for renovations or landscaping projects. Carts may be tagged and rejected if the materials are too heavy. If large quantities of waste disposal is required, please visit a City of Edmonton Waste Facility.
• Please place the Green Organics Cart a minimum of one metre (three feet) away from any obstacles to ensure safe collection. Generally, an arms-length is a good distance marker.
• Do not pack material into the Green Organics Cart, as it can become stuck. Remember that in changing temperatures or with condensation, you will need to make sure the material in your cart is loose before pick-up. Please shake the cart or put a shovel down the side to loosen the material.
• Do you need a food scraps container for your Green Organics Cart? Visit the Mike Mitchell Recycling Depot (7 Chevigny Street) during operating hours to pick up a container. Limit of one per household. For St. Albert residents only. A photo ID may be requested. 
• Create a newspaper liner for your food scraps container. Once the liner is full, empty it into your Green Organics Cart. See the Organics Origami - Paper Liner instructions to learn how you can make your own liners.
• Compostable bags are not required for collection; however, if you do use them, please ensure the packing contains a certified compostable logo. Please see the pictures below. 

Some plastic bags are marked as biodegradable rather than compostable. There is a significant difference between the two terms and ONLY compostable bags are accepted for the City of St. Albert's Green Organics Cart. Biodegradable bags will leave plastic residue behind and do not fully decompose, which adversely affects the quality of the compost. Compostable bags (as identified with a BPI certified compostable logo) do not leave residue and completely decompose, making them acceptable for use in this program.

There is no cost difference between the Medium (120 L) and the Large (240 L) Green Organics Cart. Options are provided to meet varying household needs with food scraps and leaf and yard waste. For current billing rates, please visit our Accounts & Rates section.

To request a change in size, repair or replacement, please contact the City of St. Albert’s Utilities Services at 780-459-1520, Option 2, or complete the online request form on the Change, Repair, or Replace Carts page.

A garburator is a unit that is typically installed underneath a kitchen sink. It shreds food and kitchen waste into small enough pieces to pass through the plumbing system. Using a garburator may seem like a convenient way to dispose of organic material, but it can cause problems with sewer lines in your home and put unnecessary stresses on wastewater treatment plants. Organic material that is ground up by a garburator accumulates on the small sewer pipes in your home causing sewer clogs and backups and the City of St. Albert does not endorse use of this unit for those reasons.

Many people find home composting not only convenient, but also a simple way to manage household waste more effectively.

For more information view the Home Composting page