Calgary curbside composting pilot nears completion

The city's test projectof curbside composting in Calgaryis nearing its end.

The green cart program waslaunched March 2012in the communities of Abbeydale, Brentwood, Cougar Ridge and Southwood.

Feedbackfrom residentswill beused to refine recommendationsfor a citywide green cart program asCalgarylooks tocut down on 80 per cent of household garbage ending up in landfills by 2020.

About 7,500 homes received a green cart, a kitchen pail for food scraps, compostable bags to line the kitchen pails and paper yard waste bags.

"We've gone from probably half of a garbage can every week, or every two weeks, to one grocery bag of garbage in our black bin every two weeks," said homeowner Rose Ratliffe.

City of Calgary officials estimate the green cart project has reduced waste by 42 per cent.

But Ratliffe is not convinced all homeowners will buy into curbside composting if the city decides to expand the program.

"Everything doesn't just go into to one bin. You have to think, 'OK is this recycling or is this composting or is it actually garbage,' and I know a lot of people will be resentful of that," she said.

The city's wasteand recycling department will present its report and recommendations to council in April.