Aerosol food containers 

• Food spray aerosol containers 
• Cooking oil aerosol containers 
• Whipping cream aerosol containers 

Aerosol personal care containers 

• Deodorant aerosol containers 
• Hairspray aerosol containers 
• Shaving cream aerosol containers 

How to prepare for recycling:  

• Empty 
• Lids and caps on 

Aerosol containers items not accepted: 

• Spray paint canisters 
• Cleaning supply aerosol containers  

Accepted flexible plastic packaging:

• Bread bags 
• Bubble wrap  
• Candy and snack wrappers 
• Cereal liner bags 
• Chip bags 
• Coffee bags 
• Deli pouches 
• Dry cleaning bags 
• Grocery bags 
• Pet food bags 
• Plastic bags from covering newspapers and flyers
• Plastic overwrap from cases of water or paper towel packages 

How to prepare for recycling:  

• empty all containers 
• lids and caps can stay on 

Flexible plastic packaging item not accepted: 

• Ziploc bags  

Accepted foam packaging:

• Foam bowls, plates and cups 
• Meat trays 
• Styrofoam packaging (overwrap and in packing boxes)
• Take-out containers 
• Foam take-out containers 

How to prepare for recyling:

• Empty
• Remove film wrap and absorbent pads from meat trays

Accepted Glass Containers:

Clear or coloured glass food and beverage bottles  

• oil bottles 
• spice bottles 
• salad dressing bottles 
• vinegar bottles 

Clear or coloured glass food jars  

• pickle jars 
• olive jars 
• sauerkraut jars 
• pasta sauce jars 

Clear or coloured glass cosmetic containers 

• cosmetic pots 
• cream jars 

How to prepare for recycling:  

• empty all containers 
• rinse containers if necessary 
• remove lids and caps  

Glass Items Not Accepted 

• household glass (mirrors, drinking glasses, etc.) 
• homemade wine bottles 

Accepted paper and fibre items:

Cardboard  

• pizza boxes 
• direct mail boxes 
• moving boxes 
• shoe boxes 

Cartons  

• molasses and sugar cartons 
• laundry and cleaning cartons 
• soup and sauce cartons 

Boxboard  

• cereal boxes 
• tissue boxes 
• egg cartons 
• toilet paper and paper towel rolls 

Non-refundable cartons 

• milk alternative cartons 
• sauce cartons 
• soup cartons 

Paper (any colour)  

• including flour bags 
• paper produce bags 
• notepads 
• white or coloured loose paper 
• shredded paper 
• file folders 
• printed materials 
• community newspapers 
• flyers 
• brochures 
• magazines 
• greeting cards 
• envelopes 
• gift boxes  

Paper laminate packaging  

• pet food bags 
• food service bags and plates 

Paper laminate containers  

• spiral food cans 
• cookie dough containers 
• ice cream containers 
• hot and cold take-out cups 

How to prepare for recycling: 

• empty and flatten boxes 
• remove lids from all except from cartons 
• cardboard should be no larger than 60 x 60 cm 
• place shredded paper in a tied clear plastic bag 
• remove plastic covers, elastic bands and rope handles from bags 

Paper/Fibre items not accepted: 

• soft or hard covered books/novels 

Accepted plastic packaging and containers:

Plastic Containers 

• body wash bottles 
• dish soap bottles 
• household cleaner bottles 
• laundry detergent jugs 
• shampoo bottles
  

Food Packaging 

• bakery containers 
• egg containers 
• food trays 
• peanut butter jars 
• plastic cups 
• plastic tubs and lids (margarine, honey, etc.) 
• yogurt tub
  

Toiletry Packaging 

• deodorant containers 
• hand cream tubes 
• sunblock containers 
• toothpaste tubes
  

Small Item Packaging 

• hand sanitizer bottles 
• plant pots 
• small item packaging 

Preparation for all items 

• Empty
• Leave lids and caps on

Paper/Fibre items not accepted: 

• plastic straws 

Accepted metal containers:

Aluminum  

• Aluminum foil 
• Foil frozen food trays 
• Foil pie plates 

Metal food cans 

• Canned meat and fish tins 
• Candle tins 
• Coffee, tea and cookie tins 
• Sauce cans 
• Soup cans 
• Vegetable cans 

How to prepare for recycling:  

• Ball up aluminum foil 
• Empty  
• Rinse and dry 

Waste Sorting Tool

Search for an item in the Waste Sorting Tool to find out which cart it belongs in.

Cart Collection Schedule

Enter your address to find your collection calendar.

Recycling Drop-off 

We operate two recycling drop-off depots for individuals and small businesses. 

Multi-family Garbage & Recycling

Learn about options that exist for recycling in apartments and other multi-family complexes. 

Electronics Recycling

Recycle your old electronics for free at our electronic recycling depot. 

Shingle & Drywall Recycling

Our Waste Management Facility recycles asphalt shingles and drywall. 

Sign up for alerts

Use your Notify Red Deer account to sign up for cart collection schedule alerts. 

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a provincial recycling framework that makes producers responsible for funding and managing the collection, sorting and recycling of paper and packaging products. 

Starting October 1, 2026, Alberta's residential recycling system will transition to a producer managed model intended to provide more consistent, accessible and effective recycling services across the province.  

In this model, Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) work with producers to coordinate the collection, processing and recycling of materials. In Alberta, Circular Materials is the PRO responsible for overseeing residential paper and packaging recycling.

Circular Materials is a not-for-profit producer responsibility organization (PRO) that is responsible for managing Alberta’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) recycling program for packaging and paper products. 

They support producers in meeting their EPR obligations across Canada. Circular Materials develops, implements and supports effective and efficient recycling programs to advance innovation, deliver improved environmental outcomes and drive value across the recycling supply chain. Together, they are advancing the circular economy where materials are collected, recycled and can be returned to producers for use as recycled content in new products and packaging. Learn more at circularmaterials.ca. 

Carts FAQ

Email: carts@reddeer.ca 
Phone: 403-340-BLUE (2583)