Garbage, Organics and Recycling

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. 

What is NOT acceptable to put in my blue recycle bag? 

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 

Why are these changes happening?

• Recycling changes are a results of global recycling changes
• Many items have been banned in the recycling process
• There is no international market for certain materials
• China has implemented policy to ban certain types of solid waste from being imported and set contamination limits on recyclable materials

Why is shredded paper not allowed in blue bags? 

• 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. 

Why do the caps and lids need to be removed from hard plastic containers, bottles and tubs? 

• 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. 

Why can’t my Tim Horton’s to-go coffee cup be placed in the blue bag or organic bin? It is a paper cup! 

• 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. 

Why is it important for me to recycle right and not put unacceptable items in my blue bag?  

• Placing banned items in your blue bag causes contamination, which can result in the entire bag going to landfill.
• The best way to ensure we maximize the amount of materials that are recycled is to only put acceptable items in blue bags. 

Why can’t I put glass in my blue bag? I thought it was recyclable? 

• 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. 

What if I’m not sure if a waste item can go in my blue recycle bag? 

• You can visit the Town website or visit your app store and download the MyWaste App for waste tips and a detailed list of what goes where. Simply search for an item and find out if it belongs in your blue recycle bag, green organics bin or grey garbage bin. 

What about plastic bags? I thought they could be recycled? 

• Similar to glass, there is no market to properly process plastic bags and film.
• Plastic bags are a low grade plastic, which makes it difficult to turn them into a new product. Also, given their light weight, they often get mixed in with other items during the sorting process. This can result in contamination, which then goes to the landfill.
• Residents are encouraged to shop with reusable bags to help reduce the amount of plastic bags they use.
• There are also some businesses that will accept plastic bags. But if plastic bags need to be disposed of, they must be disposed of in the grey garbage bin. 

With all these changes will the Town be picking up garbage on a weekly basis now versus bi-weekly?  And, what if I don’t have enough space in my grey garbage bin? 

• The Town of Stony Plain will not be changing its garbage pickup schedule.
• Garbage will continue to be picked up bi-weekly.
• Residents are encouraged to reduce/reuse/recycle. 
• Residents are encouraged to think before they purchase. Is this item recyclable or reusable?
• Approximately 80% of blue recycle bag materials are still recyclable.
• The majority of what needs to be pulled out of the blue recycle bag is film and flexible packaging, which is light-weight and easily compactable.
• Items that are no longer acceptable and not easily compactable (e.g. plastic clamshell packaging) can be cut down to reduce space in garbage.
• Just over 30% of what is still being thrown out in our garbage bins is organic materials, such as food waste and compostable paper products. These items can all be placed in your green organics bin.
• Residents are encouraged to think “Is this item reusable or recyclable?” before they purchase. 

• 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.  

Why are recycling numbers/symbols not being used to identify the acceptable plastics? I thought if a plastic had a recycle symbol on it, it meant that it was recyclable. 

• 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. 

If I can’t recycle plastic bags, film or wrap, why are recyclables collected in a blue recycle bag? Would it not be better to use reusable containers or go to a blue cart system? 

• Clear blue recycle bags are see-through, so collectors can quickly scan the contents for contaminants and unacceptable materials.
• There are no limits on blue bags collected per household, whereas blue carts limit the amount of recycling to the bin size. 
• At present time, the benefits of using blue bags for collection outweigh the benefits of not using them. 

I purchase much of my produce in plastic clam shells. Is there any way to influence manufacturers to change their packaging for items that are no longer accepted in the blue recycle bag? 

• 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. 

What can we do to reduce our waste? 

• 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.