The City of Calgary said most households have enough capacity between collections, but some Pineridge residents say two-week waits can leave garbage vulnerable to wind, wildlife and overflowing carts.

On windy days in Pineridge, garbage doesn’t always stay where residents leave it.

Kelly Taggart said garbage can end up scattered through alleys and neighbourhood yards, leaving residents to pick up waste that has blown away or been pulled from bags.

“I walk around the back and front yard picking up trash,” Taggart said.

The issue comes as Calgary continues to collect black carts every other week, a schedule the City said has worked for most households since it was introduced in 2017 alongside the green cart program.

The City of Calgary said recycling and food and yard waste diversion have significantly reduced the amount of garbage most households put in their black carts.

“Understandably, sometimes people will occasionally end up with more garbage than their cart can hold, so there are options to help with that,” read a statement from the City of Calgary.

Blue and green carts are collected more frequently because much of what would otherwise become garbage can be recycled or composted.

The City said volume studies show the current black cart schedule is sufficient for most Calgarians. Since the change was introduced, the amount of garbage has decreased by 50 per cent.

But for some households, two weeks between collections can still be difficult.

Taggart said four people live in her home and she typically puts out about one bag of garbage each week. By the time collection day arrives, she said the cart can hold roughly five bags of garbage.

“I recycle a fair amount as well,” she said.

Her garbage cart was already full when she spoke with LiveWire Calgary, she said.

The City said about 4 per cent of households need to put out additional garbage beyond what their black cart can hold.

Extra garbage comes with an extra cost

For those households, Calgary introduced its garbage tag program in 2020.

Residents can purchase a $3 garbage tag and attach it to an extra garbage bag for collection. The City also encourages neighbours to share available cart space, with permission from the cart owner.

For larger items, residents can use community cleanups, City Eco Centres or donate and reuse items that are still usable. The City’s Treasure Hunt program allows Calgarians to give away working unwanted items for free.

The City said it has no plans to change the current black cart collection schedule.

Adding another pickup for all households would increase costs, the City said, while the existing system is intended to balance affordability, service levels and environmental performance.

“The City conducts volume studies to look at how full bins are (blue, black and green), which is how we know that the current schedule of every other week black cart works for most Calgarians,” the City’s statement read.

“From the outset of these changes, we have seen a 50 per cent decrease in garbage since changing the collection schedule.”

For residents who cannot fit their garbage into their carts, however, the wait can create another problem: keeping garbage secure until the next collection.

Taggart said residents are told to keep excess garbage in their yards until the black cart is emptied.

That can leave garbage bags exposed to birds, skunks and other wildlife, the resident said, increasing the chance that waste will be ripped open and scattered.

The concern extends beyond individual yards.

Calgary’s bylaw department estimates illegal dumping costs the City about $600,000 a year in back alley maintenance. It estimates another $600,000 or more in costs related to other types of dumping, including couches, dead animals and gravel debris on City streets and rights-of-way.

For residents already picking up garbage blown around their neighbourhoods, the question is whether the current system is working as intended.

The City maintains that the answer is yes for the vast majority of households.

But for residents whose carts are full before collection day, the two-week wait can mean finding ways to store extra garbage — and then cleaning up what doesn’t stay put.