The city has chosen four Calgary communities to take part in a green cart collection pilot program. ((CBC))

The city has announced which Calgary communities will participate in an upcoming pilot project for recycling food and yard waste.

Starting next March, nearly 8,000 homes in Abbeydale, Brentwood, Cougar Ridge and Southwood will get green carts on a trial basis.

“Food and yard waste makes up nearly 60 per cent of residential garbage going to landfill,” said Dave Griffiths, the waste and recycling services director.

Composting this material offers the best chance of reaching Calgary’s goal of diverting 80 per cent of residential waste from landfills by 2020, the city said.

The green carts are about 120 litres — half the size of the blue recycling and black garbage carts already in use.

During the pilot program, the green carts will be collected every week — as the blue carts are — while black cart garbage collection will happen every other week. Only two carts will be collected on the same day, the city said.

Participating homes will receive a green cart, kitchen pail and compostable pail liners for food waste, as well as paper yard waste bags.

There will be no charge for taking part in the pilot program.