Home › Green cart guide
What goes in the green cart? Calgary compost guide
The green cart surprises most Calgarians: meat, bones, dairy, pet waste and greasy pizza boxes all belong in it. Here's the complete list, the seasonal schedule, and how to keep it from smelling in July.
✅ Yes — put these in the green cart
All food — cooked or raw
- Fruit, vegetables and plate scrapings
- Meat, fish and bones — yes, really
- Dairy products, eggshells and bread and baked goods
- Coffee grounds and filters
Food-soiled paper
- Pizza boxes — too greasy for the blue cart
- Paper towel and napkins
- Paper egg cartons
Yard waste
- Leaves and grass clippings
- Branches and prunings (cut to fit, lid closed)
- Christmas trees — cut up, decorations off
- House plants and flowers
Pet & bathroom
❌ No — keep these out
- Regular plastic bags — even "biodegradable" ones. Use paper or certified-compostable bags only.
- Wax paper and parchment → black cart
- Paper coffee cups — plastic-lined → black cart
- Diapers and hygiene products → black cart
- Cooking oil — small amounts sealed in the black cart, larger amounts to a depot
The seasonal schedule — this is the one that changes
Green carts are collected weekly from April to October and every two weeks from November to March. Your blue cart stays weekly and your black cart stays biweekly all year — the green cart is the only one that switches. The exact switchover date depends on your route, so check your address each spring and fall.
Keeping it fresh in summer
- Line your kitchen pail with newspaper or a paper bag and empty it every couple of days.
- Wrap smelly scraps (meat, fish) in newspaper before they go in.
- Freeze meat scraps and add them the night before collection day.
- Keep the cart lid fully closed and in the shade if you can.
Wondering about a specific item? Try the what-goes-where lookup — or find your green cart day and get free reminders.