Red Deer Trash Pickup, Black Cart, Blue Cart & Green Cart Schedule 2026
This guide is written like a Red Deer resident’s pickup-day checklist: which cart goes out this week, how Blue and Black Carts alternate, when the Green Cart changes seasonally, how to search by address, what to do when a cart is damaged, and where to take items that should never go in regular garbage.
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Red Deer trash pickup schedule garbage collection is based on your neighbourhood and zone. The City uses a three-cart system: Black Cart for garbage, Blue Cart for recycling, and Green Cart for organics. Blue and Black Carts are collected every other week on alternating weeks.
Green Carts are picked up weekly from early April to mid-November, then every other week on the same week as Blue Carts from mid-November to early April. Use the official address lookup or printable neighbourhood calendar before putting carts out.
Red Deer Garbage Pickup Day Lookup — Start With Your Address, Not a Generic Week
The fastest way to find your Red Deer trash pickup day is to use the City’s official cart collection schedule page and search your address. Red Deer’s collection calendars are organized by neighbourhood, weekday and zone, so one resident’s “Tuesday” can still be different from another resident’s “Tuesday” if the zone week is different.
The City asks residents to format addresses without dashes or special characters and to use street suffixes when searching. If your address does not appear immediately, type the street number or suffix slowly and let the search results update.
Best first step: Search your address, save your printable calendar, and sign up for Notify Red Deer reminders so you do not mix up Black and Blue weeks.
Open Official CalendarImportant 2026 note: The City’s current printable calendars cover neighbourhood schedules for November 2025 through October 2026. For late 2026 and winter 2026/2027 dates, use the live address lookup or the newest printable calendar when the City publishes it.
Red Deer Cart Collection Pattern — Blue and Black Alternate, Green Changes by Season
Red Deer’s three-cart system is simple once you remember the rhythm. Your Black Cart and Blue Cart do not go out together. They alternate every other week. Your Green Cart is weekly during the warmer season and less frequent in winter.
| Cart | Used For | Pickup Frequency | Resident Mistake to Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Cart | Garbage that does not belong in organics or recycling. | Every other week, alternating with Blue Cart. | Putting extra garbage beside or on top of the cart; it will not be picked up. |
| Blue Cart | Recyclables such as paper, cardboard, metal cans and plastic containers #1-7. | Every other week, alternating with Black Cart. | Putting glass, plastic bags, or recycling beside the cart. |
| Green Cart | Organics such as kitchen scraps, yard waste and pet waste. | Weekly from early April to mid-November; every other week with Blue Cart from mid-November to early April. | Forgetting that winter Green Cart pickup is not weekly. |
Red Deer Garbage Collection — Black Cart Rules, Sizes, Rates and Extra Waste
The Black Cart is for garbage that cannot go in the Green Cart or Blue Cart. The City lists items such as Styrofoam, diapers, plastic bags, plastic films, aluminum foil, gift wrap, ribbons, laminated paper, wax paper, small lids and multi-material packaging as Black Cart materials.
- Styrofoam packaging and foam food trays.
- Diapers, wipes and hygiene items.
- Plastic bags, plastic film and food wrap.
- Gift wrap, ribbons and laminated paper.
- Wax paper, small lids and chip bags.
- Multi-material packaging that cannot be recycled.
- Electronics.
- Household hazardous waste.
- Fluorescent lights.
- Batteries.
- Tires.
- Items that need proper Waste Management Facility disposal.
Black Cart Sizes and Utility Rates
The City says the cart collection charge is based on the size of the Black Cart selected. Current listed monthly rates are $17.00 for 120 litres, $22.00 for 240 litres, and $29.75 for 360 litres. Always verify current utility rates before making a cart-size decision.
| Size | Approximate Capacity | Listed Monthly Rate | Weight Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120 L Small | About 1.5 regular garbage bags | $17.00 | 45 kg / 100 lbs |
| 240 L Medium | About 3 regular garbage bags | $22.00 | 90 kg / 200 lbs |
| 360 L Extra Large | About 4.5 regular garbage bags | $29.75 | 115 kg / 250 lbs |
Extra garbage warning: Garbage placed beside, under or on top of the Black Cart will not be collected. If your Black Cart is full, hold excess garbage until the next scheduled Black Cart pickup or take it to the Waste Management Facility for a fee.
Red Deer Recycling Pickup — Blue Cart Rules, Glass Warning and Extra Cardboard
The Blue Cart is for paper, cardboard, metal cans and plastic containers numbered #1 through #7. It is collected every other week, alternating with the Black Cart. Clean preparation matters because bad sorting can create litter, contamination and rejected material.
- Newspapers, magazines and mixed paper.
- Office paper, junk mail, envelopes and flyers.
- Telephone books.
- Corrugated cardboard and boxboard.
- Plastic containers and lids numbered #1 to #7.
- Metal cans.
- Glass bottles and jars.
- Plastic grocery bags or blue plastic bags.
- Dirty food containers with liquids or food left inside.
- Styrofoam.
- Hazardous waste or batteries.
- Cardboard placed beside or on top of the cart.
Extra Recycling and Cardboard
Recycling set beside or on top of the Blue Cart will not be picked up. If your Blue Cart fills up, use a recycling drop-off depot at no cost or hold the extra material until your next scheduled Blue Cart week. Flatten cardboard before placing it in the cart.
Glass rule: Glass bottles and jars are not accepted in Blue Carts because glass breaks in the truck and cannot be recovered at the sorting facility. Take glass to a recycling drop-off depot instead.
Red Deer Green Cart Pickup — Organics, Yard Waste, Pet Waste and Extra Yard Waste Rules
The Green Cart is for organics such as kitchen scraps, yard waste and pet waste. It is picked up weekly from early April to mid-November and every other week on the same week as Blue Carts from mid-November to early April.
- Fruits and vegetables.
- Table scraps and plate scraps.
- Meat, fish, bones and poultry carcasses.
- Dairy products, bread and baked goods.
- Coffee grounds, filters and tea bags.
- Food-soiled paper towels and napkins.
- Brush, leaves, branches, grass and garden debris.
- Pet waste, kitty litter, pet fur and feathers.
- Plastic bags.
- Plastic containers.
- Styrofoam.
- Diapers and hygiene products.
- Large animal carcasses.
- Diseased branches.
- Fire pit, fireplace or barbecue ashes.
- Sod, soil, rocks or gravel.
Extra Yard Waste When the Green Cart Is Full
Extra yard waste is collected only if it is set out with a full Green Cart. Use a garbage can that is no taller than 1.2 metres and no larger than 100 litres, paper yard waste bags, or small branches tied in bundles with string. Branches must be no more than 2.5 cm in diameter and 90 cm long. Extra cans or bags must weigh less than 25 kg.
Local resident tip: During spring cleanup and fall leaf season, fill the Green Cart with food scraps and pet waste first, then use paper yard waste bags or bundled small branches for extra yard waste. Keep extra yard waste one metre away from carts.
Red Deer Waste Video Guide — How the City’s Waste Management Facility Works
This official City of Red Deer video is useful because it shows what happens to residential organics, recycling and garbage after carts leave the curb. It supports this guide’s Black Cart, Blue Cart, Green Cart, depot and sorting sections by helping residents understand why correct sorting matters.
Best for: New residents, homeowners using the three-cart system, apartment residents learning Red Deer sorting rules, and anyone unsure why hazardous waste, glass, electronics and yard waste may need a special drop-off instead of a regular cart.
This video supports the practical guidance in this article. For exact pickup dates, cart calendars, holiday changes, missed collection, landfill hours, tipping fees, cart exchange fees and service alerts, residents should still verify details through the official City of Red Deer links above.
Red Deer Apartment, Condo, Townhouse and Four-Plex Garbage & Recycling Rules
The City of Red Deer provides recycling and garbage service to residents living in multi-family properties such as apartments, townhouses, condominiums and four-plexes. These properties may use shared recycling bins or carts and shared garbage bins instead of the same curbside carts used by single-family homes.
- Use the reusable recycling bag to carry recyclables from your unit.
- Empty recycling loose into the shared recycling bin or cart.
- Do not place recycling inside plastic bags.
- Glass bottles and jars should go to recycling drop-off depots.
- Ask your building manager if bins overflow or if you need a reusable bag.
- The City states Green Cart service is not provided to multi-family properties at this time.
- Kitchen food waste may go into the multi-family garbage stream unless your building has a separate program.
- Household hazardous waste, paint, batteries, electronics and fluorescent lights must go to proper drop-off.
- Site managers should contact the City for overflowing garbage or recycling service needs.
Move-in warning: If there is no reusable recycling bag in your apartment when you move in, ask your building manager. If the building is out of bags, the manager can contact the City to order more.
Missed, Damaged or Mixed-Up Red Deer Carts — What to Do Before Calling
Before reporting a missed pickup, confirm your address calendar, check whether this is a Black week or Blue week, and make sure your cart was set out properly. The City says carts should be out by 7 a.m. and one metre away from obstacles, windrows, parked cars and other carts.
Check the correct cart week
Blue and Black alternate. If the wrong cart was out, it may not be a missed pickup. Search your address calendar before calling.
Check the set-out location
In winter, do not place carts behind or on top of snow banks, drifts or windrows. You may need to shovel a flat area for cart placement.
Check extra material rules
Garbage or recycling placed beside, under or on top of carts will not be picked up. Extra yard waste has separate rules and must be placed one metre away from carts.
Call or email the City
For damaged, missing or stolen carts, contact carts@reddeer.ca or call the Blue Line at 403-340-BLUE (2583). The City says broken, vandalized or missing carts are replaced at no charge.
Need help? Use the official Blue Line for cart questions, missing carts, damaged carts, calendar confusion and cart exchange requests.
Email CartsRed Deer Waste Management Facility — Landfill, HHW, Recycling Depot and Special Drop-Off
The Red Deer Waste Management Facility includes the landfill, household hazardous waste drop-off and recycling drop-off depot. It is located at 1709 – 40 Avenue, on the east side of 40 Avenue south of 19 Street.
- Address: 1709 – 40 Avenue, Red Deer.
- Winter hours: November 1 to March 31.
- Summer hours: April 1 to October 31.
- Open all statutory holidays except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
- Secure loads are required when hauling waste.
- Household hazardous waste.
- Residential paint products.
- Electronic waste.
- Tires.
- Yard waste, wood, drywall, shingles and scrap metal.
- Appliances with Freon may have an additional flat fee.
Hazardous waste warning: Household hazardous products should not go in carts. The City says they can be dropped off at the Waste Management Facility household hazardous waste depot free of charge year-round. Products should be in original containers where possible.
Waste Management Facility Map
Related Trash Pickup Guides — Alberta, Canada and Cart-Based Pickup Help
Use these related trash-pickup.org guides when comparing Canadian cart programs, holiday pickup patterns, recycling rules and missed pickup troubleshooting. These internal links also help users move between similar garbage collection problems instead of landing on a dead-end page.
Internal-link note: After publishing, link back to this Red Deer guide from Canadian trash pickup pages, Alberta-related pages, recycling guides and landfill/drop-off guides to reduce orphan-page risk.
Red Deer Trash Pickup FAQ — Local Questions Residents Actually Ask
Source Verification and Editorial Note
Independent information guide — not affiliated with The City of Red Deer. trash-pickup.org is a public information resource. We do not operate cart collection, landfill services, Waste Management Facility operations, Notify Red Deer, the Blue Line, or City of Red Deer service alerts.
Cart pickup frequency, Black Cart rules, Blue Cart recycling rules, Green Cart organics rules, multi-family recycling notes, Waste Management Facility address, facility hours, tipping-fee examples, hazardous waste guidance, official video availability and contact details were checked against official City of Red Deer resources as of May 2026. Schedules, fees, hours, routes and accepted materials can change. Always verify through the official City links before acting.
Official Sources — Verified May 2026
- City of Red Deer — Garbage, Recycling & Organics
- City of Red Deer — Cart Collection Schedule
- City of Red Deer — Black Cart
- City of Red Deer — Blue Cart
- City of Red Deer — Green Cart
- City of Red Deer — Carts FAQ
- City of Red Deer — Multi-Family Garbage & Recycling
- City of Red Deer — Waste Management Facility
- City of Red Deer — Household Hazardous Waste
- City of Red Deer — How the Waste Management Facility Works
- TheCityofRedDeer — Waste Management Facility Tour Video
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