By sorting organic materials into your green cart, you help our community work toward achieving the 65% waste diversion target. Extra organic carts are available for $8.73 per month with a minimum six‑month commitment; for more information or to request an additional cart, call the Eco‑Smart Hotline at (780)‑980‑7107.
Organics (compost) Cart & Organic Material
| Ashes (cooled) | Corn cobs | Grass clippings | Pizza/soiled boxes |
| Bakery goods | Dairy products | Grease (kitchen) | Popcorn/bags (paper) |
| Beef & scraps | Dead animals (small) | Gum | Popsicle sticks |
| Bones | Dead plants/flowers | Hair | Pork & scraps |
| Bread | Dirt (small amt.) | Kabob skewers (wood) | Pumpkins |
| Cheese | Dirty paper | Kitchen scraps | Rice |
| Chicken & scraps | Dog waste (compostable bag) | Leaves | Sauces/spreads |
| Candy | Dryer lint | Meat/bones | Sawdust/wood chips |
| Cardboard (soiled) | Eggs/shells | Oil (used cooking/cooled) | Seafood/shells |
| Cat litter | Facial tissue (soiled) | Oily/fatty foods | Seeds/nuts |
| Cat waste (compostable bag) | Feathers | Paper (shredded) | Shredded paper |
| Cereal | Fish & parts | Paper bags | String (cotton) |
| Coffee filters/grounds | Flour/grains/dough | Paper products (soiled) | Tea bags |
| Cooking oil (cooled) | Fruit/peelings | Pasta | |
| Cotton balls (clean) | Garden waste | Peanut shells |
- Clean recyclables
- Waste
- E-waste
- Hazardous household waste
- Plastic bags, including thin grocery produce bags (only paper bags and 100% compostable bags are accepted in the organics cart)
Green carts are manually inspected on an ongoing basis by City staff and the collection contractor (GFL). During inspections, contaminated green carts will not be collected and residents will be informed of the specific issue with an information tag left on the cart. Please ensure your green cart contains acceptable items only. Download the Recycle Coach app, or call the Eco-smart Hotline at (780)-980-7107 with any questions. Click here to learn more.
It is best to place your organics loose in the cart. The only exception is pet waste, which must be bagged in an approved 100% compostable bag. Approved bags are marked by the manufacturer with both the U.S. and Canadian compostable logos and can be found at most retailers in Leduc.
Don’t know which material goes into which cart? Check out the Recycle Coach app.
Preparing your green organics cart for pickup is easy and will ensure all material can be emptied on collection day.
- Keep the cart lid closed.
- Line the cart with 100% compostable bags, paper towels, or newspaper so materials don’t stick to the bottom.
- Wrap material in newspaper or use approved compostable bags.
- Alternate layers of ‘brown’ material (leaves, shredded paper, cardboard, sawdust) and ‘green’ material (meat, dairy, garden waste).
- Store your organics cart out of the direct sun in a cool, well-ventilated area year-round.
- Put your cart out for collection on scheduled collection days, even if it is not full.
- Sprinkle the rim of your cart with a small amount of baking soda, vinegar, salt or garden lime.
- Place a briquette in the bottom of your cart.
- Keep food scraps frozen until your scheduled collection day.
- Rinse the cart weekly or every second week with a water/vinegar mix or a diluted bleach solution.
Waste Cart & Waste Material
Waste is defined as any household items that aren’t organic or can’t be recycled. All waste must be put in a bag and placed in your black waste cart. Your cart will not be collected or emptied if there is loose waste.
- Items like glass that cannot currently be recycled are considered waste and should go in your waste cart.
- Use your waste cart for all sanitary products, wipes, and diapers. Flush smarter. Sort it. Don’t clog it!
- Glass drinking containers (pop, juice, beer bottles) can be returned to the Leduc Bottle Depot for a refund.
Do you routinely have more waste than can fit in your cart? Rent an extra waste cart for $13.12/month for a minimum of six months. Certain terms of service are in place for residents arranging for a second waste cart. Call the Eco-smart Hotline at (780)-980-7107 for details.
| Air filters | Cookie bags (coated paper) | Garden hose | Pillows |
| Air fresheners (countertop/car) | Cereal box liners | Gift wrap (metallic) | Plastic bottle caps |
| Anti-static sheets | Clothes | Juice bottles (glass) | Ribbons/bows |
| Baby food jars (glass) | Clay flower pots | Laminated paper products | Rope |
| Bakeware | Cleaning wipes | Leather | Rubber bands |
| Band-aids | Cutlery | Light bulbs (standard) | Styrofoam |
| Bottle caps | Coat hangers (metal/wire) | Lids (plastic/metal) | Soiled wipes |
| Bubblewrap | Dry cleaner bags | Microwave dishes | Static cling dryer sheets |
| Broken glass | Dishes/pots | Mirrors | Toothbrushes |
| Candles | Diapers | Nails/screws/nuts/bolts | Twine |
| Cassette tapes | Egg cartons | Needles (in safe container) | Wine cork (plastic) |
| Cellophane | Foil wrappers | Pencils | Wood pieces (small) |
| Ceramics/dishes | Floor sweepings | Plastic | Wrapping paper |
| Cigarette butts | Foam | Plastic bags | Ziploc bags |
- Clean recyclables
- Organics
- E-waste
- Hazardous household waste
Blue Bags for Recyclables
The golden rule of blue bag recycling is that all recyclables must be clean and dry and contained in a blue recycle bag.
The materials in the table below are accepted in blue recycle bags for proper and safe disposal.
For more information, please call the Eco Smart Hotline at (780)-980-7107 or check the Recycle Coach App.
- Plastic containers (e.g. margarine tubs, laundry and soap bottles)
- Tin cans and lids (e.g. soup or canned vegetables)
- Paper products (e.g. newspaper, flyers cards, envelopes, magazines, tissue paper)
- Flattened cardboard (e.g. Amazon boxes, shoe boxes, egg cartons)
- Cardboard must be smaller than 2 x 3 ft. for curbside collection. Please cut up larger boxes.
- Non-glass beverage containers (e.g. pop cans, milk cartons, tetra drink containers).
Beverage containers are refundable at the bottle depot.
Curbside Recycling Program FAQ
Paper containers coated with plastic are typically used in the food and drink packaging industry to prevent product leaks. For example, paper coffee cups, cardboard ice cream cartons, fountain pop cups, and Tetra pack food containers (e.g., soup broth) are commonly lined with plastic. These items are not accepted in the blue bag and should be placed in your waste cart.
Yes! Glossy items such as magazines, cracker boxes, paper gift bags (remove the string handle), shoe boxes, or cereal boxes can be placed in the blue bag. Please remove any non-paper inserts or additional packaging before putting it in your blue bag.
A clamshell is a container made from soft, flexible plastic. Clamshells are often used as take-out containers and are commonly used to package berries, bakery goods, deli salads, and sandwiches. These items are accepted in the curbside blue bag program.
Products made from cardboard or paper and lined with aluminum or plastic are not accepted in the blue bag and should be placed in your waste cart. Examples include cardboard spiral containers used for frozen juice, cookie dough, chips, and cleaning products. Clean metal lids from these products are accepted in the blue bag for recycling.
Soft, flexible aluminum and tin products such as aluminum/tin foil, pie plates and take-out containers are considered single-use products. They are typically made up of mixed materials, or they are too dirty after use to recycle. Please place them in your waste cart. Rigid aluminum and tin items such as soup cans, cat or dog food cans, or coffee tins are still recyclable, provided they are rinsed and cleaned. Please place metal lids inside the cans to prevent injuries. Labels on cans are accepted in the blue bag.
Recycling programs vary from one municipality to another. To find out what recyclable material is accepted, check with the municipality’s program for details.
The triangle recycling symbol with a number inside ranging from 1 to 7 is called a Resin Identification Code and represents the different types of plastics in the material. Generally, Number 1s and 2s can be recycled, but the code is not always a suitable indicator, as recycling rules vary in different regions. The presence of a triangle recycling symbol or a code on a plastic does not necessarily mean it is recyclable. City of Leduc residents can for our specific recycling rules.
Cart Placement
When carts are placed properly for pickup, the City’s automated collection system makes curbside service efficient and cost-effective.
Curbside collection uses different trucks for each type of material. Collection starts at 7 a.m. on collection day but trucks will pick up the two carts and the blue bags at different times throughout the day. Collection will be complete by 7 p.m.
- Place carts on the street either in front of the sidewalk or in front of your driveway. The wheels must be touching the edge of the gutter with the cart facing forward, away from your home.
- Place the carts 1m apart from each other, the blue bags and parked vehicles.
- Place your blue bags on the boulevard or street 1m outside or behind (not between) the carts.
- Keep vehicles 1m away from the carts and blue bags on collection day.
- Ensure branches, fences, and utility lines are 1m away from, or above, the carts.
Place your carts at the edge of the lane on the driveway or parking pad with blue bags 1m away from the carts. As with front street collection, keep 1m clear on all sides of the carts, and above them.
- Place carts and blue bags on the street at the end of your driveway. It is illegal for other vehicles to park across your driveway so that space is available to you.
- Place blue bags behind your carts (at least 1m away).
- Try asking your neighbour to leave you more curb space on collection days.
The city may be able to work out special collection arrangements for circumstances such as those living in tight cul-de-sacs with very little curb space. Angle parking in cul-de-sacs is not allowed without formal permission from the City, but exceptions may be made if circumstances warrant it. Call the Eco-smart Hotline at (780)-980-7107 for more information.
Cart Storage
Leduc residents are proud of their clean, green, and attractive community and of the impressive results we’ve achieved in diverting many tonnes of material from the landfill.
- Carts must be removed from the curb within 24 hours of collection.
- Find a storage location where carts are easy to access throughout the week when you have material to put in them and also on collection day.
- Cart storage must be accessible 12 months of the year so you can still easily pull the carts to the curb (or the lane) and back in the winter.
- Ensure your storage area is level so your carts won’t tip over.
- Your storage location should be a reasonable distance from the public sidewalk to minimize the view of carts from the street.
- To save space, consider storing one cart in front of the other.