More Memories, Less Waste this Holiday Season

The holiday season brings celebration, connection, and a noticeable increase in household waste - about 25% more than usual. To help Calgarians cut down on unnecessary waste and sort seasonal items correctly, the City has launched its More Memories, Less Waste campaign with a few practical tips and reminders for the weeks ahead.

Waste Reduction + Sorting

Knowing where things belong also helps reduce waste and make a difference.

• Blue Cart: wrapping paper, tissue, flattened boxes, clean plastics, and most cards.

• Green Cart: food scraps, turkey bones, baked goods, and food-soiled paper.

• Black Cart: items like foil, tinsel, cellophane wrap, broken ornaments, burned-out lights, and artificial trees.

• Eco Centres: electronics, batteries, packing foam, and many takeout containers can be dropped off at an Eco Centre. Full details are available at calgary.ca/holidaywaste.

Holiday Cart Schedule Change

For residents with regular Thursday cart pickup, the following schedule changes will apply to accommodate holiday closures.

• December 25 collection will be moved to Monday, December 22

• January 1 collection will be moved to Monday, December 29

• Regular Thursday pickup will resume on January 8, 2026.

Residents can confirm their schedule or sign up for reminders at calgary.ca/cartschedule.

Christmas Tree Composting

If you have a real Christmas tree, it can be composted by cutting it into smaller pieces and placing it in the green cart with the lid fully closed. Trees can also be dropped off at designated sites between December 26 and January 31 - locations are listed at calgary.ca/christmastree.

By reducing, reusing, and sorting wisely, we can all help create more memories and less waste this holiday season. Visit calgary.ca/holidaywaste to learn more.