 What is acceptable to put in my blue bag? |
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The following items CAN be placed in your blue recycle bag for collection:
- Hard/rigid plastic containers, tubs and bottles, but no lids or caps (e.g. detergent, condiment or shampoo bottles; margarine and yogurt containers; ice cream pails)
- Tin food cans (clean and in original shape)
- Magazines, newspaper, flyers and catalogues
- Office paper, envelopes, craft paper
- Books with front and back covers removed
- Wrapping paper (no foil), greeting cards (decorations removed)
- Boxboard (e.g. cereal, cracker, cookies, tissue boxes)
- Cardboard, flattened (60 cm by 1 m or smaller)
- All items must be CLEAN and DRY (FREE OF FOOD, LIQUIDS AND DIRT). Lids must be removed and placed in garbage.
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 What is NOT acceptable to put in my blue recycle bag?
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The following items can NOT be placed in your blue recycle bag:
- Soft/flexible plastics, such as plastic clamshell containers (e.g. berries, salads, bakery items)
- Single use plastic cups (e.g. pudding, applesauce, yogurt)
- Plastic bags, film and wrap (e.g. grocery bag, food wrap, re-sealable bags)
- Glass, including jars
- Tetra Paks without deposit (e.g. soups, broth, liquid egg)
- Styrofoam (e.g. packaging material, meat tray, take-out containers)
- Small metal item (e.g. coat hanger, nails, broken household items)
- Plastic packaging from toys, food and household items (e.g. fruit and vegetable bags, cereal box liners, pet food bags, plant pots)
- Single use plastic items (e.g. cutlery, straws, coffee pods)
- To-go cups (e.g. plastic and paper with wax film drink cups, lids and straws) - paper coffee cups without a wax film can go in the green organics cart
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Why is shredded paper not allowed in blue bags?
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- Due to the recycling process, shredded paper is not accepted as it clogs the machines used in recycling.
- Shredded paper can be placed in the green organics bin.
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Why do the caps and lids need to be removed from containers?
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- Caps and lids are sometimes made with different type of plastics than their respective container, bottle or tub.
- Leaving caps on can cause the item to be unmarketable and contaminate the blue bag.
- If a container has not been washed, or has not been left to dry, mold can potentially grow in the container. This will contaminate the product and the entire blue bag.
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Why can’t my Tim Horton’s cup be placed in the blue bag or organic bin?
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- To-go coffee cups are made from paper. However they are also lined with a wax coating on the inside.
- This wax coating makes the item unrecyclable and not compostable.
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Why can’t I put glass in my blue bag? I thought it was recyclable?
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- Glass has never been accepted in blue bags.
- As of now, there is no international market for processing glass.
- It can also be extremely hazardous in the blue bags, as glass jars or containers will often break and recyclables are hand sorted at various stages.
- If glass cannot be reused in the household and must be disposed of, it needs to be placed in the grey garbage cart.
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| How can I wash my recycling and save water? |
- Tin cans, aluminum cans, pie plates and containers can all be washed using sink water from washing dishes. This will ensure no additional water is used.
- To ensure acceptable items reach end markets and are, in fact, turned in to new products, it is important to ensure that they are clean. This means that materials should be free of food chunks, liquid materials, or wiped clean from grease and dirt.
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If plastic has a recycle symbol on it, is it always recyclable?
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- These numbers and symbols were originally created to help identify the type of plastics being used in the product. However, these numbers are no longer reliable.
- Only hard/rigid plastic containers, tubs and bottles will be accepted in your blue recycle bag. These products have markets for recycling.
- Soft/flexible plastics, like clamshell containers and single serve plastic cups, do not have recycling markets and must go in your grey garbage bin.
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How can I help stop manufacturers from using plastic clam shells?
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- The Town of Stony Plain will be advocating the provincial government to enable provincial policy that puts responsibility of the end-of-life of a product to the producer/manufacturer.
- This policy approach is called Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
- At this time, Alberta is one of the only provinces in Canada that currently does not have a provincial EPR policy.
- You can take action by contacting your MLA and voice your support for implementing an EPR program in our province.
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What can we do to reduce our waste?
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- A great start is to rethink how you purchase, use and dispose of various products.
- The three R’s of recycling — reduce, reuse and recycle — are listed in order of priority.
- Before you recycle, try to reduce and reuse first.
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