Calgary, AB,
25
September
2015
|
13:09
America/Denver

Leaf & Pumpkin composting program underway to help Calgarians clean up their yards this fall

Did you know that Calgarians help divert over 2 million kilograms of leaves and pumpkins from City landfills every fall?

The City of Calgary’s annual  Leaf & Pumpkin composting program is here to help Calgarians clean up their yards and stay green this fall. Residents can bring their bagged leaves and pumpkins to one of the 36 drop-off locations around the city until November 8th.  Leaves and pumpkins collected through the program will be composted.

“There are so many benefits to composting leaves and pumpkins,” says Waste & Recycling Services Superintendent Darcy Cairns. “When organic material is buried in the landfill it doesn’t decompose and creates byproducts like carbon dioxide and methane gas. By composting the material, we can keep it out of the landfills and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.  It’s great to be able to turn the leaves and pumpkins into something useful again as nutrient-rich compost.”

The program is now in its 26th year and is a regular part of Calgarians’ fall routines. But not many residents are aware of the paper yard waste bags that The City recommends using. “We prefer the use of paper yard waste bags over plastic bags for the Leaf and Pumpkin program,” says Cairns. “Paper bags are more environmentally-friendly as they are 100% compostable and leave no waste behind. We would love to see Calgarians make the switch.”

Here are some quick tips about this year’s Leaf & Pumpkin composting program:

  • Paper yard waste bags are preferred! You can usually find them in the same aisle as garbage bags at most grocery, hardware and garden retailers.
  • Only leaves and pumpkins are accepted. Please do not include rocks, branches, soil or sod.
  • This program is intended for residential use only.

WHAT: Encourage Calgarians to bring their bagged leaves and pumpkins to a seasonal drop-off location.
WHEN: September 25– November 8, 2015
WHERE: 36 drop-off locations around the city. Visit calgary.ca/leaf to find a location near you.

Audio clips and b-roll video footage are available for download for broadcast media use via the 2015 Leaf & Pumpkin Media Advisory .

-30-