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 recycling:

• Empty
• Rinse
• 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
• Rinse
• Remove lids and caps and recycle these separately

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)  

• 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
• Flatten boxes 
• Lids can stay on
• 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
• Rinse
• Lids and caps can stay on

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 off all food residue and dry

There is only one charge on your utility bill that covers Green, Blue and Black Cart collection services. The amount is determined by the size of Black Cart selected only. Your Green, Blue and Black Cart do not need to be the same size. 

Small: 120 litres - holds 2 blue boxes of recycling or 1 ½ regular garbage bags Monthly utility rate if you select a 120 litre Black Cart: $17.00
Medium: 240 litres - holds 4 blue boxes of recycling or 3 regular garbage bags Monthly utility rate if you select a 240 litre Black Cart: $22.00
Extra Large: 360 litres - holds 6 blue boxes of recycling or 4 ½ garbage bags Monthly utility rate if you select a 360 litre Black Cart: $29.75

Residents may request a different Blue or Black Cart size. Residents cannot request a different Green Cart size because Green Cart sizes are based on lot size.

A $60.00 Cart Exchange Fee will be charged when residents request a cart size change. The exchange fee may be waived if residents request an exchange at the time of, or shortly after opening a new utility account when the carts assigned to the property do not meet the needs of their household.

Cart exchange requests can be made by phoning the Blue Line at 403-340-BLUE (2583) or by email at carts@reddeer.ca.

Yes, the weight of the cart and the material in the cart must not exceed 45 kg (100 lbs.) for a small cart, 90 kg (200 lbs.) for a medium cart of 115 (250 kg (250 lbs.) for an extra-large cart.

If you can easily roll your cart, it is likely not overweight. If your cart is too heavy, remove some material and save it for your next collection day. If you are putting heavy material in your cart such as apples that have fallen from your trees or wet leaves in the spring, you may want to fill your cart only half full.

In the past the cost of collecting, sorting and processing recycling was the responsibility of municipalities, and the cost was passed on to residents. This changed on April 1, 2025, with the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). The cost of recycling is now the responsibility of the producers (manufacturers) that put paper and packaging products (PPP) into the marketplace. It may be called PPP in the legislation, but it is the same items the City of Red Deer calls recycling.

Residents will see no change in their cart collection schedule, what is accepted in their Blue Carts, or what is accepted at the Recycling Drop-off Depots. The only change residents will see is a lower cart collection utility rate.

Additional information about EPR can be found at:

• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
• https://www.alberta.ca/extended-producer-responsibility
• https://www.circularmaterials.ca/resident-provinces/alberta/
• https://www.albertarecycling.ca/epr/

Cart User Guide (pdf)
What Goes Where brochure (pdf)