Waste cart rollout starts Monday as Edmonton begins transition to source-separated collection

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Green and black waste carts started landing on some Edmonton driveways Monday in the first phase of the city’s transition to source-separated collection.

The new compost and garbage bins will be delivered to about 250,000 single-family households through six phases running until the end of August. Homes at the northernmost part of the city and in the southeast will be the first to receive carts between Monday and April 10, with collection under the new system set to begin April 11. The schedule for the other five phases can be found on the city’s website.

Under the new system, residents will be required to separate food and organic waste from garbage in an effort to divert more waste from landfills. The city’s long-term goal is to divert 90 per cent of waste from landfills and it only reached 21 per cent in 2019.

The green compost cart will be collected weekly from spring to fall and every two weeks in the winter. Garbage in the black cart will be collected every two weeks. Recycling will continue to be collected weekly in blue bags. Yard waste collection will occur twice in the spring and the fall with no size limits.

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Residents have already had the chance to change from the default 240-litre garbage cart size to 120 litres. If the selected size doesn’t work out, another chance to switch will be available on April 6 or when carts are received, whichever is later.

More than 19,000 households made the switch to the smaller cart, accounting for 8 per cent of curbside customers. Starting in October, those who opt for a smaller cart will see their monthly waste service fees drop by $3.90 and fees will increase by $1.10 a month for the 240-litre size.

The city will provide more details on the launch of the rollout Monday afternoon.

More to come.

duscook@postmedia.com

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