About Waste & Recycling Services
Waste & Recycling Services runs waste reduction and diversion programs and services, collects waste, and manages landfills for residential and commercial customers in Calgary.
Our mission is to enable Calgarians to reduce and manage their waste responsibly, now and into the future.
Making a waste difference
Waste & Recycling Services is focused on implementing programs, policies and bylaw changes to help Calgarians and businesses manage their waste responsibly through a variety of diversion and reduction initiatives. Here are a few highlights:
Waste hierarchy
We’ve all heard of “reduce, reuse and recycle” but there’s even more to it! A waste hierarchy approach shifts the focus to waste reduction and reuse, the upper levels of the waste hierarchy.
Waste practices at all levels are important, however, the hierarchy is a reminder that we should be prioritizing actions at the top to cut down on waste that's made in the first place.
To learn more details, click on each of the preferred sections in the graphic below or download a copy of the waste hierarchy.
Calgarians now throw out half as much garbage in their Black Carts as they did before Blue and Green Carts were in place.
How we can all participate
Moving up the waste hierarchy will take all of us working together – individuals, businesses, organizations and government, to change how we think about consumption and waste.
The best way to reduce waste is to not make it all.
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For Calgarians
Using your current items for longer and repairing when needed.
Renting, borrowing or buying pre-owned items instead of new.
Cutting down on food waste through smart shopping and storage habits.
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For businesses
Changing your supply chain, modifying a product's design to be easily repairable or leasing equipment instead of buying.
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For government
Creating policies, bylaws or regulations that support waste reduction behaviours.
Benefits of reducing waste
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Saving money for Calgarians and businesses
Making less waste means less cost overall to manage waste – whether that's waste collection, processing recyclables and food and yard waste or handling hazardous products like paint and chemicals. This keeps waste costs affordable for everyone.
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Saving natural resources, energy and pollution
Using products and items for longer saves natural resources, cuts down pollution and reduces the amount of energy needed to make new products.
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Saving landfill space for future generations of Calgarians to use.
Making less waste makes sure we have enough space for items that don’t have a reuse, recycling or composting option.
Building resiliency in our waste management
There is no one single waste option that will solve all our problems. But our collective efforts works to ensure that we have affordable and responsible programs in place for current and future generations of Calgarians.
Frequently asked questions
What is the circular economy?
A circular economy eliminates waste and pollution, and conserves resources. It is a shift from a throw-away to a circular mindset to extend the lifecycle of goods, food and resources through better design and continuous reuse, so nothing goes to waste. A circular economy embraces the waste hierarchy approach.
Why does The City run three landfill sites?
Landfills are both a resource and an asset to manage. While at the bottom of the waste hierarchy, they are still an integral part of the waste management system.
Calgary's priority is to continue extending the life of our landfills. The longer we can make our current sites last, the better off we will be. Through our waste reduction and diversion programs, we are saving valuable landfill space for future generations of Calgarians to have and use.
Landfills are highly engineered facilities involving sophisticated technologies, processes and operations to maintain. Once a landfill is full, we still must pay to manage and maintain it forever, to keep protecting public health and the environment, even though we can’t put anything else in it.
Making the most of the three City landfills we currently have is financially and environmentally prudent.
Where does waste-to-energy fit in The City’s priorities?
Recovering energy from waste through burning (incineration) or chemical conversion is a low priority that fits in the bottom of the waste hierarchy. The City is focused on helping Calgarians and businesses reduce the waste that's generated in the first place, and then to recycle or compost.
While The City is not prioritizing waste-to-energy initiatives, there are some projects in place to deal with waste management byproducts to incorporate into existing City facilities. For example, the East Calgary landfill site has recently installed an upgraded landfill gas system to convert captured landfill gas into energy. The electricity created will be used within the East Calgary site to make it more self-sustaining. Any surplus power will be directed to the grid for other City facilities.