Recycle Right

Yes.

All recycling equipment and services in the RMWB are fully operational. Properly sorted and prepared recyclables are sent to producers to be recycled and reused.

⚠️ However, if recycling is contaminated with food, garbage, or non-recyclable items, it can’t be processed and may be sent to the landfill instead.

Yes — but not through curbside collection.

Glass bottles and containers can be reused, but must be dropped off at the landfill—free of charge.

⚠️ Do not put glass in your curbside bins, it can contaminate the entire load rendering materials unsuitable for recycling and create safety risks for workers who sort recycling by hand.

Yes — but they don’t need to be spotless.

• Give cans and containers a quick rinse to remove leftover food or liquid.

• Labels can stay on.

• For cardboard and paper, make sure there’s no food residue or greasy spots.

• Flatten and break down boxes to save space.

Properly prepared recyclables are more likely to be reused. If bins are contaminated with food or garbage, it can prevent your recycling — and your neighbours’ — from being collected and recycled.

First, collection teams check recycling bins for contamination before they’re picked up. If a bin contains too many non-recyclable items, it may be left behind or tagged.

After pickup, your recycling is taken to the Material Recovery Facility (MRF), where it’s sorted by hand on conveyor belts. Contaminated or incorrect items are removed and sent to the landfill.

The clean, sorted recyclables are compacted into large bales and shipped to producers, who recycle the materials into new products. Thanks to Alberta’s new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program, producers are now responsible for processing recycling, helping ensure more materials are reused through the circular economy.

Contact Pulse at 780-743-7000 or online at rmwb.ca/pulse and the collection teams will follow up directly with you to repair or replace your damaged bin.  

The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) shifts more responsibility for end-of-life products to the producer and away from local governments and taxpayers. The regulatory change implemented by the Government of Alberta came into effect April 1, 2025 and will encourage companies to find innovative ways to recycle more materials and produce less packaging waste. 

The RMWB is exploring the possibility of a compost and organic waste program.

It’s identified as a future goal in the Solid Waste Services Master Plan and is something many residents have asked for. Planning work is ongoing as the Municipality looks at options that best meet the needs of the region.