City seeking community feedback on curbside green cart program

Three years into the curbside organics program, the City of Lethbridge is looking for feedback on how residents use their green carts. 

Starting today, residents are invited to share their green cart experiences through the Green Cart Survey. It aims to help the City’s Waste & Environment department understand: 

• How often you use it
• Which barriers prevent you from using it more often
• The types of organic waste you use it for
• How confident you are about the ins and outs of curbside organics

“We want to get to the meat and potatoes of your green cart habits,” says Asheley Cowie, Infrastructure Services Education & Outreach Team Lead. “Whether you use it every collection, only in the summer or not at all, your feedback will help us understand how curbside organics fits into your daily routine.” 

Data collected from the survey will help Waste & Environment identify challenges residents may face and learn how to better support them. 

“Hearing directly from residents helps us better understand what’s working, what isn’t and where we can provide additional support,” says Cowie. “By taking a few minutes to complete the survey, residents can tell us how they use their green cart, how it helps them reduce waste and what resources would make the program even more effective for their household.” 

Since the Curbside Organics program launched in 2023, residents have diverted more than 20 million kilograms of organic waste from the landfill – an average of 585 kilograms per household. 

“Our community has made lots of progress in the first three years of green carts, and the numbers to date are a strong start,” says Mandi Parker, General Manager of Waste & Environment. “We want to thank residents for their curbside enthusiasm, and we encourage them to share their insights through this survey.” 

“There’s always room for improvement, especially with food waste,” says Cowie. “For example, while yard waste typically decreases in the winter, food scraps are generated year-round. Food scraps are perfect green cart candidates and can be processed into nutrient-rich compost.” 

The survey is available on the City’s public engagement website, Get Involved Lethbridge. It takes about 10 minutes to complete and is open until August 30, 2026. 

This work also supports the 2026-2029 Council Strategic Plan by advancing priorities related to a healthy and environmentally responsible city. Feedback gathered through the survey will help inform future waste diversion initiatives and support a more sustainable community. 

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