Curbside Waste Education Program

The Curbside Waste Education Program for 2021 is complete. The team visited 7,841 households in 2021.

By conducting curbside waste education, the Team hopes to:

Encourage proper waste sorting by households
Encourage proper waste set out of carts and bags at the curb
Gather information on common waste questions to improve the information provided to residents

Door hangers and stickers have been left behind to provide some helpful tips for your household.

Door Hangers and Stickers

Oops! What Goes Where?

There was an issue with your waste sorting this week.

Unacceptable materials can be dangerous for collection and may increase program costs and lower the quality of compost of the Green Organics Cart.

Please refer to the specific notes on your door hanger, or on your orange and pink "Oops!" sticker.

Consult the Be Waste Wise App or the Be WasteWise: “What Goes Where?” Quick Sorting List for sorting tips.

Waste Wise Orange Sticker Waste Wise Pink Sticker

In 2020, staff engaged with residents to discuss options to reduce unacceptable material (contamination) in the Green Organics Cart.

View the results of the "Cultivate the Conversation" engagement.

Oops! Extra Garbage

Waste Wise Brochure Please do not overfill carts or place additional garbage on the lid.

The lid on the cart should fully close. To reduce litter and prevent materials from becoming stuck, please do not pack or cram materials into the cart.

To dispose of extra garbage, Extra Garbage bag tags can be purchased from Servus Place, Fountain Park Recreation Centre, or St. Albert Place. Bags can then be taken to the Mike Mitchell Recycling Depot for disposal.

If you consistently have more garbage than will fit into your Brown Garbage Cart, please contact Utilities Services at 780-459-1520, Option 2 to request a larger sized cart.

Oops! Curb Your Cart

Waste Wise Brochure Please place your carts out by 7:00 a.m. on your household’s waste collection day.

Carts should point to the center of the road, as indicated by the arrows on the lid.

Ensure your carts are a minimum of an arm’s length (1 m) distance from all obstacles. Please do not park vehicles close to the carts.

It is important to follow these steps to ensure the truck can pick up your Green Organics Cart and Brown Garbage Cart safely.

Did you receive a "Thank You" sticker?

You’re Waste Wise!

You’re Waste Wise! Thank you for sorting and setting out your waste correctly! Households who sort and set out their waste correctly will receive a sticker on their Green Organics Cart. Keep up the good work!

Common Errors

Blue Recycling Bag Errors

Clamshells are the most common error we've seen in Blue Recycling Bags.

Clamshells are made of flimsy, low quality plastic and are garbage. Examples of clamshells include:

Berry, mushroom, and salad packaging
Black plastic takeout containers

These items go in your Brown Garbage Cart. In addition to clamshells, the Curbside Waste Education Team have also noted the following contaminants in the Blue Recycling Bag:

Item	Why can't I put it in my recycling?	Where does it belong?
To-go cups (coffee, slurpee, smoothie)	To-go cups are made of mixed materials, which are challenging and difficult to separate	Brown Garbage Cart
Glass	Glass can break at any point during the recycling journey, contaminating other recyclables and presenting a hazard to our operators	Mike Mitchell Recycling Depot OR Brown Garbage Cart
Pizza and donut boxes	Once soiled with food, cardboard will begin to decompose and is no longer suitable for recycling. Please remove liners and any plastic or non-organic material	Green Organics Cart

Green Organics Cart Errors

Unacceptable items in the Green Organics Cart lower the quality of the finished product and may increase program costs. The most common errors we've seen in Green Organics Carts are:

Plastic bags used as liners
Food packaging such as plastic wrap

Plastic wrap, sauce, plastic bag, onion netting

Only BPI certified compostable bags are accepted in the Green Organics Cart. Food packaging like plastic wrap, sauce packets, onion netting, and foil goes in the Brown Garbage Cart.

Cart Set Out Errors

Oops! door hanger and incorrectly spaced carts

Carts need to be set out by 7:00a.m. on your regular waste collection day.

PARK IT - Carts should be on the street with the wheels against the curb
POINT IT - Arrows should point to the centre of the road
SPACE IT - Give at least an arm's length (1 m) of clearance on all sides (including overhead)

Additional Information

Nominate Your House

Are you “waste wise” and want to prove it to your neighbours?

If you think you sort and set out your waste correctly, you can nominate your household and street to receive a visit from the Curbside Waste Education Program Team.

Curbside Waste Education Program's Nomination Form

Summary Reports

Summary Reports for the Curbside Waste Education Program

See how many households the Curbside Waste Education Team visited, what the common errors were, and more! Click on the annual reports below for more information.