October 2, 2026
Chip bags, toothpaste tubes, foam and aerosol cans can now go in your blue cart
Some of the stuff you've been putting in the black cart can now go in the blue one.
As of October 1, 2026, Calgary's blue cart accepts four kinds of packaging it used to turn away. This is part of Alberta's new recycling rules (Extended Producer Responsibility), which make the companies that make packaging responsible for recycling it. The upside is that the same list now applies everywhere in Alberta.
What's new
- Flexible bags and wrappers. Chip and snack bags, candy and granola-bar wrappers, packaging film, pouches.
- Tubes. Toothpaste, deodorant and lotion tubes.
- Foam. Foam packaging blocks, foam egg cartons, meat trays, foam takeout containers.
- Household aerosols. Hairspray, dry shampoo, shaving foam, sunscreen, cooking spray, whipped cream.
The three rules that haven't changed
Empty. Pour out liquids and scrape food into the green cart. An aerosol can should be used up, not half full.
Clean. Rinse food containers and shake them dry. A greasy meat tray needs a rinse first.
Loose. Never bag your recycling. If you collect wrappers in a plastic bag through the week, empty the bag into the cart, then put the bag in too.
Packaging, not products
This is the City's main message this time, because it's where most of the contamination comes from. Only the packaging goes in the blue cart, never the thing it came in. The shoebox goes in, the shoes don't. The cookie bag goes in, the cookies don't. The plastic clamshell goes in, the flashlight inside it doesn't.
That's true even when the product is made of plastic, metal or paper. Toys, small appliances, cords, hoses and dishes still don't go in the blue cart.
Things that still don't go in
- Anything with a hazard symbol (poison, flammable, explosive), even when it's empty. That includes spray paint, bear spray, propane and helium tanks, and pesticide cans. Take them to a household hazardous waste drop-off.
- Batteries and anything with a battery inside, including vapes. A lithium battery in a recycling truck can start a fire.
- Garbage bags, diapers, wipes, clothing and textiles.
Good to know
- Your pickup day stays the same. Blue carts are still picked up every week. Look up your schedule at calgary.ca/cartschedule.
- If your cart fills up faster now, break boxes down flat first. Take any overflow to a Community Recycling Depot or a City Eco Centre. Don't leave bags next to the cart, because the truck won't take them.
- This is the single-family blue cart program. If you live in a townhouse or condo complex with shared bins, ask your board or property manager how the change affects your building's hauler.