Ditch the dump run: City of Calgary will take your trash in annual Community Cleanups

The City of Calgary wants to take your trash off your hands as it hosts Community Cleanups around the city.

Residents all over the city will be able to toss their unwanted items that don’t fit into waste and recycling bins at these events, saving them a trip to the dump.

The spring Community Cleanup began on the weekend of April 26-27 and continues until June 28-29. The summer season goes from July 5-6 to Aug. 30-31, and fall runs throughout the weekends of September.

City-supplied packer trucks also come with crews to help, and funds are also provided to help with cleanup expenses for each event. The waste accepted is residential only, such as furniture, toilets, broken recreational items, and “weird items” like a garden gnome collection.

However, items such as lawnmowers, barbeques, and large appliances are not accepted, along with car batteries, glass, microwaves, household hazardous waste materials, and railway items.

Trucks for organics and yard waste won’t be at any cleanups this year because of the introduction of the green cart program.

“Calgarians are adopting a year-round approach to getting rid of organic waste,” the city says.

The city says some cleanup events will take in children’s sporting equipment donations through the Calgary Flames Sports Bank

Canyon Meadows, Bankview, Rosscarock, Bowness, Acadia, and Bridgeland-Riverside have already had cleanups, while others like Marlborough, West Hillhurst, and Lakeview are listed later in May and June.

Times and locations for cleanups in your neighbourhood are on the city’s website, and a full list of items accepted and restricted can be found here.