Recycling

Starting October 1, 2026, more materials will be accepted in your blue bag and at the recycling depot. Phase two of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) begins, and new recycling materials to be accepted province-wide.
New items include:
Flexible plastic and films (chip bags, toothpaste, pet food bags and bubble wrap)
Empty aerosol containers (cooking spray, perfume, hair spray, deodorant and shaving cream)
Foam packaging (meat trays, take out containers, and foam packaging)
Paper laminates (coffee cups and ice cream containers)

The City of St. Albert provides the Recycling Program to all single-family households and some multi-family homes and condo complexes. Recyclable items must be clean and dry, and placed in Blue Recycling Bags. Cardboard must be flattened and not be greater than 1 m x 1 m (3 ft x 3 ft) in size. Flattened cardboard exceeding this size may be torn and placed in Blue Bags, or brought to the Mike Mitchell Recycling Depot. Residents can place an unlimited number of Blue Recycling Bags and flattened carboard out for collection on their household's waste collection day.

Cart Collection

The Residential Solid Waste Management Bylaw (6/2025) describes the rules and regulations which must be followed for waste collection.

Learn more by viewing the Cart collection rules

Failure to follow these regulations will result in:
Blue bags being tagged with an explanation of what requirement is not being met.
No blue bag collection.

Did you receive an Oops! sticker on your recycling?

We can provide feedback to help you re-sort your bag if you send a photo of your recycling to wastewise@stalbert.ca

What Goes in the Blue Recycling Bag?

Download the "What Goes Where?" Quick Sorting Guide or search for specific items using the tool below.

Curbside Collection Guidelines

Changes for Blue Recycling Bag

The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) phase two begins October 1, 2026, and new materials will be accepted province-wide for recycling.

New materials include:

Flexible plastic and films (chip bags, toothpaste, pet food bags and bubble wrap)
Empty aerosol containers (cooking spray, perfume, hair spray, deodorant and shaving cream)
Foam packaging (meat trays, take out containers and foam packaging)
Paper laminates (coffee cups and ice cream containers)

EPR shifts the cost of recycling materials like single-use products, packaging, and paper products (PPP), batteries and hazardous and special products (HSP) away from municipalities and utility ratepayers to the producers and manufacturers who supply those products into the marketplace. For more information about EPR you can visit the Provincial Government's site for Extended Producer Responsibility

oops orange sticker Even with the introduction of EPR, some materials continue to be not accepted in the blue bags, such as durable goods, toys, Tupperware, plant pots, cookware and books. Unacceptable materials, including food residue and liquids, compromised the clean recycling and disrupt standard recycling loops or can’t be efficiently processed by automated single-stream sorting machinery.

Please ensure that all recycling items are placed inside a see-through blue bag. Contents of blue bag should be clearly visible for collection. Opaque bags may be rejected due to contamination and safety concerns.

Residents are encouraged to learn more about how to reduce waste by using reusable items such as coffee mugs, utensils and grocery bags instead of single-use items. Glass jars can also be reused for crafts and home storage.

Frequency of Collection

Blue Recycling Bags are collected every week throughout the year on your household's designated waste collection day.

For specific details, please refer to the Collection Schedule

Acceptable vs. Unacceptable List

Acceptable	Unacceptable
Boxboard	Plastic bags, wrappers & wrap
Books (with hard and softcovers removed)	Styrofoam blocks, cups, packing peanuts & trays
Bottle deposit containers (not including glass)	Non-packaging plastic (e.g. laundry baskets, lawn chairs & toys)
Corrugated cardboard	Glass bottles, jars and containers (Accepted at the Recycling Depot)
Flattened milk jugs	Electronics and hazardous waste
Food cans & tins	Shredded paper, napkins, tissues, paper towels & tissues paper (Accepted in the Green Organics Cart)
Hard plastic tubs, bottles, lids & containers (e.g. shampoo, ketchup, sour cream, etc.)	Chip cans & spiral wound containers
Magazines & phone books	Plastic dishware, ceramics & glassware
Newspapers & flyers	Coffee pods & drink pouches
Office paper, envelopes, craft paper	Single-use plastic straws & utensils
Paper egg cartons	Scrap metal and construction & demolition materials
Paper greeting cards and gift wrap (no tissue paper, foil, glitter or decorations)
Non-deposit Tetra Pak containers (e.g. soup containers, alternative milk cartons)
Plastic clamshell packaging (e.g. berry containers, sandwich trays, fruit/vegetable trays)
Single-use cups (e.g. yogurt, pudding & sauces) and to-go cups (from coffee, fountain drinks & smoothies)