Every spring, we look forward to Calgary's free Green Cart compost giveaway. We have picked up the compost several times, and over the years, we have developed our own simple way of getting it home and using it in our garden.
The City of Calgary makes this compost from food scraps and yard waste collected through the Green Cart program. The finished compost is offered to Calgary residents for use in yards and gardens.
For us, the best part is not only that the compost is free. We also like being able to put useful organic material back into our garden.
When We Pick Up the Compost
The 2026 giveaway ran from April 13 to May 30 at the Shepard and Spyhill landfill locations. An appointment was required, and each household could pick up compost once, with a maximum of 100 litres.
We usually go to Shepard Landfill in southeast Calgary.
The 2026 program is now closed. When the next spring giveaway is announced, we recommend checking the City of Calgary's official compost giveaway page for the new dates, booking information, and rules.
City of Calgary — Green Cart Compost Giveaway
What We Bring With Us
We have learned that a little preparation makes the pickup much easier.
For our trip, we bring:
- A shovel
- Gloves
- Safety glasses
- Long waterproof boots
- A tarp
- Five large plant pots
- One small bucket
We also wear clothes that we do not mind getting dirty.
The City requires residents to bring their own shovel, gloves, containers, and tarp because the compost is self-serve.
We put the tarp in the vehicle before we start loading. This simple step saves us a lot of cleaning later.
Our Experience at Shepard
We follow the marker posts and compost signs for about 1km inside the landfill area. When we reach the site, large piles of compost are ready for residents to load.
We shovel the compost ourselves, so we do not need to wait for someone to load it for us.
Our five large plant pots work well as containers. Instead of trying to fill them directly with the shovel, we use a small bucket. We fill the bucket with the shovel and then transfer it into the larger pots.
That small change makes the job much easier for us.
Be Ready for Dust and Dirt
The compost pickup is simple, but it is not a clean job.
On a dry and windy day, the dust can be surprisingly strong. We have been there when the wind blew so much dust toward us that it was difficult to keep our eyes open.
That is why we wear safety glasses. Gloves are also important, and a dust mask can be useful on a very dusty day.
The City notes that its compost may contain food allergens and recommends protective gloves and a dust mask to reduce the risk of exposure.
We also expect our boots and clothes to get dirty. Compost can get into our boots, stick to our shoes and clothes, and leave a noticeable smell.
So, we recommend wearing clothes that we do not mind getting dirty and using a good pair of boots.
The Tarp Makes Cleanup Easier
The tarp is one of the things we would not skip.
Before we begin, we line the vehicle with it. As we move compost from the pile into the pots, some material may fall or spill.
Because the tarp is already there, we do not worry too much about small spills.
When we get home, we can take the tarp out and clean it instead of trying to clean compost from the whole vehicle.
For us, this is a small preparation that makes the entire trip easier.
We Follow the 100-Litre Limit
The official limit for the 2026 giveaway was 100 litres per household. The City says staff check the amount and residents must stay within the limit.
We use our five large pots to make the amount easy to manage.
Container sizes and the way compost settles can make the exact amount look a little different from one vehicle to another. Still, we follow the City's 100-litre limit rather than treating small differences as permission to take more.
The program is meant to give many Calgary households an opportunity to receive compost, so we think it is important to respect the limit.
Leaving the Compost Area
Once we finish loading, we make sure the containers are secure and the tarp is properly arranged.
At the Shepard site, our experience has been that compost-only vehicles can follow the compost exit rather than going through the normal process for regular landfill waste.
If we are also taking other waste to the landfill, we follow the normal landfill instructions.
Because site traffic and procedures can change, we always follow the signs and staff directions when we visit.
How We Use the Compost
This is where our approach has changed over the years.
When we first started bringing the compost home, we used it directly in our garden.
After using it for some time, however, we noticed that it was not always completely uniform. Some parts appeared to be less broken down and contained more dry, ash-like material. In our experience, those parts did not absorb and hold moisture as well as we wanted.
So now, we do something different.
We ferment the compost one more time before using it.
We mix the compost with organic materials from our own garden and kitchen, such as:
- Leaves from the garden
- Fruit left from the garden
- Fruit peels
- Soybean pulp left after making tofu
- Other suitable organic material
We let this mixture go through another fermentation process before using it in the garden.
How to make garden soil in Calgary: Free compost, leaves and okara
This extra step has become part of the way we manage our garden. We find that it works better for us and helps us make better use of the compost we bring home.
This is our own gardening practice based on our experience, not a special treatment required by the City.
The City describes its compost as a soil amendment. It can help improve soil structure, nutrient content, moisture retention, and plant health, but it should be used with soil rather than as a replacement for soil.
What We Have Learned
After doing this several times, we have found that the pickup itself is quite simple when we prepare properly.
We bring the right containers, put down the tarp first, and use a small bucket to make loading easier. We also expect dust, dirt, and compost smell instead of being surprised by them.
More importantly, we have changed the way we use the compost.
At first, we simply used it in the garden. Now, we give some of it another fermentation period with leaves, fruit, fruit peels, soybean pulp from making tofu, and other organic material.
That extra step fits our gardening routine better.
For us, the free compost is not just something we pick up and spread on the ground. We have found our own way to work it into our garden, and that makes the yearly compost giveaway something we continue to look forward to.
Our Simple Pickup List
Before we leave home, we check:
- Shovel
- Gloves
- Safety glasses
- Long waterproof boots
- Tarp
- Five large plant pots
- Small bucket
- Appointment information
We put the tarp in the vehicle before loading and make sure everything is secure before leaving.
That is all we need to turn a free compost pickup into a useful part of our spring garden routine.
Is the Free Compost Worth Getting?
For us, yes.
It takes some work, and it can be dusty and dirty. But we have learned how to make the process easier, and we continue to find a good use for the compost in our garden.
What started as simply bringing home free compost has become part of our gardening routine. We now give some of the compost another fermentation period with organic material from our garden and kitchen before using it.
That extra step works well for us, and it helps us get more practical use from the compost we bring home.
The 2026 giveaway has ended, so we will check the City of Calgary's website when the next spring program is announced.
Official Calgary Green Cart Compost Giveaway information
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