This is a personal choice, but it never hurts to have a little help, which is just what the cities of Calgary and Edmonton offer to their residents.

With programs ranging from recycling and community clean-ups to training in composting and pesticide-free gardening, those who dwell in Alberta’s two largest cities have plenty of city programs to take advantage of.

“The overarching goal for the community is to take those steps, one by one, that together will lead to a much more sustainable future from an environmental point of view and a much smaller footprint,” says Dave Day, director of environmental and safety management with the City of Calgary.

There are differences between what the two cities offer, but both offer a range of services, with both mandatory programs and additional services that residents may seek out by choice.

Waste management is an issue for all municipalities, and one where government has a chance to make a big difference. Services such as recycling pick-up can greatly reduce the amount of waste entering landfills.

Both cities offer weekly recycling pickup, a service that, combined with reuse and composting programs, diverts close to 60 per cent of household waste from Edmonton landfills, with a goal of 90 per cent by 2012. In Calgary, the introduction of the Blue Cart program in spring and early summer of 2009 is expected to double the amount of recyclables kept out of the city’s landfills.

There are also lesser known programs, available to residents of each city, that teach sustainable habits.

Calgarians can take part in the Healthy Yards program, which aims to “take the best environmental practices that are best translatable to backyards and teach them at the homeowner level,” says Simon Wilkins, integrated pest management co-ordinator with Parks Calgary.

Participants receive three hours of instruction in composting, responsible pest management and outdoor water conservation as well as an invasive weeds component, and a complimentary rain barrel and compost bin. While the program fills well in advance, interested Calgarians are encouraged to approach their employers and organize a condensed version of the program in which the regular three-hour class is condensed and taught to interested co-workers during the workday.

In Edmonton, citizens and the City team up to keep the city litter- and graffiti-free through the Capital City Clean Up program. Program components include an Adopt-a-Block program for residents, River Valley Clean Ups made possible by volunteers, Big Bin events which assist residents in properly disposing of large items and a Cigarette Litter pilot project for 2009.

The aim of the project is to “improve cleanliness from an aesthetic as well as an environmental standpoint, as well as to promote the livability and sustainability of the city,” explains Thomas McDade, senior program planner with the Capital City Clean Up.

Each city offers a variety of other programs to assist residents in green living—are you getting your tax dollars’ worth?  CL

Reduce Reuse Recycle

Toilet Rebates
Get a $50 rebate for the purchase of an eligible low-flow toilet—download the brochure, which includes the application form, at calgary.ca/waterservices or pick one up at plumbing and hardware retailers.

Free Mulch
Mulch from the Christmas Tree and Leaf and Pumpkin recycling programs is available free to residents at the East Calgary landfill.

Blue Cart Recycling
Blue Carts will be delivered by July 2009 to single family homes and pick-up will begin within 2-6 weeks of delivery. For details, visit calgary.ca/bluecart.

Healthy Yards
To register for the 2010 program (2009 is full) or to organize a Lunch and Learn, call 311 or visit the City website.

Pathway and River Clean Up
The 42nd annual Clean Up is scheduled for May 3, 2009. For more information on how to take part, call 311.

Volunteer Ranger Program
Creating a culture of environmental stewardship is an integral part of this program. Rangers must be able to volunteer four hours per month and receive training ranging from First Aid to CAN BIKE to dog behaviour.
Call 311 to learn more.