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Recyclable materials and how to sort

Recycle cart icon Understanding what belongs in your blue recycling cart and what should be taken to the Recycle Depot, helps keep our recycling system clean and effective.

Expanded blue cart recycling program and changes coming to Recycle Depot coming Oct. 1, 2026

Beginning Oct. 1, 2026, new materials will be accepted through the blue cart recycling program and Airdrie's Recycle depot as part of Alberta's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system.

New materials accepted in the blue recycling program and at the Recycle Depot include:

Mixed paper packaging such as pet food bags and spiral cans.
Empty food and body aerosol containers such as shave cream, whipped cream and sunscreen.
Flexible bags and wrappers like cereal bag liners, snack bags and coffee bags.
Tubes such as toothpaste, deodorant and lotion.
Foam packaging such as clean meat trays, foam cups and egg cartons.

For full list of accepted materials, visit circularmaterials.ca/Airdrie or the Circular Materials app here.

Learn more about what EPR means for Airdrie

As of April 1, 2026, Airdrie’s curbside recycling program is managed by Circular Materials as part of the provincial Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program. Circular Materials has contracted GFL Environmental to manage the blue recycling cart program in Airdrie. GFL is your main contact for missed collection, cart fixes and new home cart delivery for residential blue cart recycling. Visit Circular Materials for more information.

GFL Environmental	Circular Materials
Primary contact	Secondary contact
780.444.8805	1.877.667.2626
GFLresidentialrecycle@gflenv.com	customerservice@circularmaterials.ca

Garbage and organics inquiries should still be directed to 311.

Recyclables in your blue carts

Collection frequency: weekly. Learn about cart placement.
Accepted items: paper, cardboard, plastics, metals, and other recyclable packaging. Unsure where an item belongs? View the Cart smart tool: Where does it go?.
Cart use:

Items should empty, clean and dry and be placed loose in your blue recycling cart. Do not bag any recycling except for shredded paper and stretchy plastics.
If an item has more than one material that can't be split (e.g. paper shipping envelopes made of bubble wrap and coffee cans) it belongs in the garbage.
Flatten and break down cardboard boxes to create more space in your blue cart.
Do not over stuff or place material beside carts (the lid must be closed to be collected). Large and excess recycling can be brought to the Recycle Depot.

What material is recyclable?

The blue cart is for recyclable materials such as paper, cardboard, and containers. See what materials are accepted below.

Paper, cardboard and books

materials	Location and sorting
Newspaper, magazines, flyers and envelopes Soft cover books and notebooks (remove coils) Shredded paper Tetra Paks, such as soup and juice boxes (remove straws) Paper coffee and fast food cups (remove lids and straws) Cardboard boxes (clean, flattened, no plastic, metal or wood lining) Boxboard including tissue and cereal boxes	Blue recycling cart Do not bag any material except shredded paper and stretchy bags which must be a securely tied clear bag before placing it in blue cart Flatten and break down cardboard boxes to create more space in your blue cart If an item has more than one material that can't be split (e.g. paper shipping envelopes made of bubble wrap and coffee cans) it belongs in the garbage Recycle Depot
Hard and soft cover books in good condition (no magazines, textbooks, encyclopedias, CDs or DVDs)	Recycle Depot: Book Barn (take a book, leave a book)

materials

Location and sorting

Newspaper, magazines, flyers and envelopes
Soft cover books and notebooks (remove coils)
Shredded paper
Tetra Paks, such as soup and juice boxes (remove straws)
Paper coffee and fast food cups (remove lids and straws)
Cardboard boxes (clean, flattened, no plastic, metal or wood lining)
Boxboard including tissue and cereal boxes

Blue recycling cart

Do not bag any material except shredded paper and stretchy bags which must be a securely tied clear bag before placing it in blue cart
Flatten and break down cardboard boxes to create more space in your blue cart
If an item has more than one material that can't be split (e.g. paper shipping envelopes made of bubble wrap and coffee cans) it belongs in the garbage

Recycle Depot

Hard and soft cover books in good condition (no magazines, textbooks, encyclopedias, CDs or DVDs)

Recycle Depot: Book Barn (take a book, leave a book)

Plastic containers, bags and wrap

materials	location and sorting
Hard plastic containers with the symbol #1-5 and 7 Dairy containers such as yogurt and margarine Refundable beverage containers including milk jugs and drink bottles Produce clamshell containers such as those for berries and lettuce Personal care product containers including shampoo, conditioner and laundry detergent bottles Stretchy plastic bags like grocery bags, bread bags, sandwich and snack bags Stretchy plastic wrap like pop case and toilet paper over wraps and plastic cling films	Blue recycling cart Plastics must be larger than the size of your palm Do not bag any material except shredded paper and stretchy bags which must be a securely tied clear bag before placing it in blue cart Items should empty, clean and dry and be placed loose in your blue recycling cart. Recycle Depot

materials

location and sorting

Hard plastic containers with the symbol #1-5 and 7
Dairy containers such as yogurt and margarine
Refundable beverage containers including milk jugs and drink bottles
Produce clamshell containers such as those for berries and lettuce
Personal care product containers including shampoo, conditioner and laundry detergent bottles
Stretchy plastic bags like grocery bags, bread bags, sandwich and snack bags
Stretchy plastic wrap like pop case and toilet paper over wraps and plastic cling films

Blue recycling cart

Plastics must be larger than the size of your palm
Do not bag any material except shredded paper and stretchy bags which must be a securely tied clear bag before placing it in blue cart
Items should empty, clean and dry and be placed loose in your blue recycling cart.

Recycle Depot

Polystyrene foam (Styrofoam™)

materials	location and sorting
Foam material such as protective packaging for electronics #6 and block foam (clean and tape free and no food Styrofoam™)	Recycle Depot

Metal containers and cans

Materials	location and sorting
Food cans like soup or tuna and pet food cans Aluminium foil (rinse and crumple into a ball) Aluminium foil pie plates and cooking trays (rinse well) Jar lids (lids must be larger than the size of your palm and separate from jar) Refundable beverage containers like pop cans	Blue recycling cart Items should empty, clean and dry and be placed loose in your blue recycling cart. If an item has more than one material that can't be split (e.g. paper shipping envelopes made of bubble wrap and coffee cans) it belongs in the garbage Recycle Depot

Glass containers and jars

Materials	location and sorting
Glass food containers like jam and pasta sauce containers Mason jars Refundable beverage containers like soda, beer and wine bottles (lids and caps must be removed)	Blue recycling cart Items should empty, clean and dry and be placed loose in your blue recycling cart. Recycle Depot

Electronics

Materials	location and sorting
Small appliances like microwaves, coffee makers and blenders Cellphones, tablets and corded phones Printers and scanners Power and yard tools Gaming systems and toys Televisions, computers and accessories such as speakers, remotes and cables Cords, cables and USB's Light strands and plug-in or battery operated decorations Lamps and fans Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors	Recycle Depot For a complete list of electronics accepted visit ARMA Recycling Program.

Household hazardous materials, batteries, chemicals and oil

Materials	location and sorting
Batteries including alkaline, lithium, rechargeable and car batteries Paint and paint cans Aerosols like whip cream canisters, hairspray and spray paint Household chemicals like cleaners and bleach Light bulbs including CFL, halogen and incandescent Propane tanks Fire extinguishers Antifreeze Cooking oil Motor oil (max 20L, no drums or barrels) Oil filters and jugs	Recycle Depot Liquids must be securely contained in a labelled container

Clothing and shoes

Materials	location and sorting
Clothing and shoe donations (new and used condition)	Recycle Depot

Bicycles

Materials	location and sorting
Bike tires Bicycle donation and sales	Recycle Depot Bike sale program

Holiday materials

Some holiday-specific materials can be recycled through our seasonal programs. Visit our Holiday waste and recycling tips to find out what to do with items like Christmas lights, trees for chipping, and pumpkins after Halloween.