Edmonton Trash Pickup & Garbage Schedule 2026

The City of Edmonton collects waste from Edmonton homes using curbside carts and separate recycling service. Your exact schedule depends on your address, so the best official source is the WasteWise system. The City also provides printable 2025/2026 calendars, schedule reminders, sorting help, and seasonal alerts through the WasteWise app and the online collection calendar.

How to Find Your Edmonton Trash Pickup Day

Edmonton does not use one universal waste calendar for every household. Your address-specific schedule tells you which week to put out the garbage cart, when the food scraps cart is next, and which Mondays are your yard-waste days.

1. Open the official collection calendar. Go to Waste Collection Calendar.
2. Enter your address exactly. Edmonton says choosing your address from the drop-down is important so the system finds the correct schedule.
3. Check the full calendar, not just one week. Because Edmonton switches some collection types seasonally, it helps to view several months at once.
4. Use WasteWise for reminders. The WasteWise app shows collection schedules, sorting instructions, and collection day reminders.
5. Print or request a calendar if needed. Edmonton says you can print your calendar at home, request help through 311, or use an Edmonton Public Library if you need printing assistance.

Edmonton Waste Collection Schedule: What Runs When

Edmonton’s curbside system uses different frequencies for each waste stream. The key difference is that recycling stays weekly, garbage stays every two weeks, and food-scraps carts change between weekly and biweekly depending on the season.

Edmonton’s spring waste collection schedule begins April 28, when food scraps carts switch to weekly collection. Garbage carts remain every two weeks, and recycling continues weekly. Later in the colder season, green carts shift back to every two weeks, so always check your personal calendar before set-out.

Garbage Cart Rules in Edmonton

Garbage in Edmonton goes into the black cart, and the City says it is collected every two weeks year-round. If you have extra garbage or a larger household, Edmonton also offers cart swap and excess-cart options for eligible customers.

The City notes that curbside customers can request a cart size exchange. Edmonton also says you can swap a large 240L cart for a small 120L cart and save money on your utility bill, while very large households or homes that generate qualifying non-hazardous healthcare waste may apply for an excess 360L cart.

Edmonton Recycling Collection

Recycling in Edmonton is collected every week year-round. It stays on the same weekly pattern even when the garbage and food-scraps carts alternate or change with the season.

Good Edmonton recycling habits:

• Follow the City’s sorting instructions through WasteWise
• Use your address calendar for the correct day
• Keep recycling separated from garbage and food scraps
• Use the City’s recycling guides when you are unsure about an item

Edmonton’s WasteWise system is especially useful here because it includes sorting instructions for hundreds of items. That makes it easier to keep contamination out of the recycling stream and avoid missed or rejected material.

Edmonton Food Scraps Cart Schedule

The green cart is one of the most important parts of Edmonton’s system, but it is also where residents get confused most often. Unlike recycling, the green cart does not keep the same frequency all year.

Edmonton says food scraps carts switch to weekly collection during the spring schedule, while winter collection changes them back to every two weeks. Your calendar will show the exact week-to-week pattern for your address.

Why this matters:

• You cannot assume the green cart goes out every week in every season
• Yard waste can often go into the green cart between yard-waste collection days if the lid still closes
• Do not compact the material down inside the cart, because the City says it can get stuck when tipped

Edmonton Yard Waste Collection and Options

Yard waste is not a weekly curbside service in Edmonton. Instead, it is collected twice in spring and twice in fall on select Mondays. Your address-specific calendar or WasteWise app will show which Mondays apply to your home.

The City says yard waste collection days:

• Run on select Mondays
• Are provided twice in spring and twice in fall
• Accept as many bags or bundles as you need — there is no bag limit

How to set it out:

• Use double-ply paper bags rolled closed or see-through plastic bags tied closed
• Bundle twigs and branches with natural twine
• Keep branch bundles under 1 metre long and 0.5 metres in diameter
• Keep bags and bundles under 20 kilograms (44 pounds)
• Set everything out by 7:00 a.m. where you normally place your carts

What to Do If Edmonton Missed Your Collection

If your waste was set out properly and not collected, Edmonton gives a clear next step. The City says missed collection should only be reported after the route has had enough time to finish.

1. Wait until the end of the collection day. Edmonton says to report a missed collection if your waste was not picked up by 10:00 p.m. on collection day.
2. Leave the waste out. If you report a missed pickup, keep the material out for follow-up service.
3. Make sure it was out by 7:00 a.m. The City says it will not return for waste that was set out incorrectly or after 7 a.m.
4. Report the missed collection. Use Edmonton’s online service request or contact 311.
5. Check cart condition too. If the issue is a damaged or missing cart rather than a missed route, use the cart repair and exchange process.

Edmonton Eco Stations and Drop-Off Options

Eco Stations are one of the most useful parts of Edmonton’s waste system. The City says these sites accept a wide variety of items, including household hazardous waste, batteries, electronics, yard waste, and more.

Edmonton also runs free weekend events at select Eco Station locations and Big Bin Events during the summer and fall. These are useful when you have extra material that does not belong in your curbside system or you want to avoid storing it at home.

Cart Repair, Missing Cart, and Exchange Help

Edmonton provides an official form to request a cart repair, size exchange, or report a lost or stolen curbside cart. If you live in an apartment or condo, the City says your property manager should contact Waste Customer Support instead.

• Damaged cart: Request a repair through the City’s cart form
• Missing or stolen cart: Report it through the same repair and exchange process
• Smaller or different cart size: Use the City’s exchange option
• Need help carrying waste out? Edmonton offers Assisted Waste Collection for eligible residents

Official Edmonton Waste Collection Resources

Frequently Asked Questions About Edmonton Trash Pickup

Need help now? Start with the collection calendar, then use WasteWise or call 311 if you need reminders, help printing, missed collection support, or cart assistance.