Canada (CA)
Canada is the world's second-largest country by land area and one of the most immigration-friendly nations on earth.
Recycling & Waste in Canada
Bin system, bottle deposits, special disposal, and common mistakes.
Canada's recycling and waste management system is municipal — there is no single national standard. Each city and region sets its own rules for what goes in which bin, collection schedules, and which materials are accepted. Despite this variation, most Canadian municipalities use a two- or three-bin system: a recycling bin (blue box or cart), an organics/compost bin (green or brown), and a garbage bin (black or grey). The Blue Box Program (Ontario) is the world's first municipal curbside recycling program, launched in Kitchener in 1981. As of 2026, Ontario is transitioning to Producer Responsibility — producers fund and operate the blue box system under Circular Economy legislation. Most provinces also operate bottle deposit-return systems for beverage containers. Wrong sorting rarely results in a fine for residents, but contaminated recycling is rejected by facilities — putting non-recyclables in the blue box ultimately sends those items to landfill.
The Bin System
Blue Box / Recycling Cart
Blue (most cities)Blue Box (Ontario); Single-Stream Recycling Cart (BC, Alberta, Quebec)
- ✓Cardboard and cardboard boxes (flattened)
- ✓Newspapers, flyers, magazines, and office paper
- ✓Plastic bottles and jugs (marked #1 PETE, #2 HDPE — e.g. pop bottles, milk jugs, shampoo bottles)
- ✓Glass bottles and jars (most Ontario municipalities accept; check your city — some collect glass separately)
- ✓Aluminum cans (pop, beer — not deposit-bearing)
- ✓Steel/tin cans (soup cans, pet food tins — rinsed)
- ✓Cardboard drink cartons (Tetra Pak — juice boxes, milk cartons)
- ✓Paper bags and cereal boxes (inside plastic bag removed)
- ✓Metal lids and bottle caps
- ✗Plastic bags and film plastic — take to in-store collection bins at grocery stores (Sobeys, Loblaws, Metro)
- ✗Styrofoam (EPS foam) — check for Styrofoam drop-off at Staples or municipal depots
- ✗Plastic wrap, cling wrap, bubble wrap — grocery store plastic bag drop-off
- ✗Greasy pizza boxes — garbage
- ✗Coffee cups and lids (most Canadian paper cups have plastic lining) — garbage
- ✗Diapers and hygiene products — garbage
- ✗Electronics — special e-waste drop-off
- ✗Batteries — separate battery recycling
- ✗Clothing and textiles — donation bins
- ✗Ceramics and porcelain — garbage
Green Bin / Organics Cart
Green (most cities) or brownGreen Bin (Toronto, Ottawa); Organics (Vancouver, Calgary)
- ✓Fruit and vegetable scraps (including citrus, onions, cores)
- ✓Meat and fish scraps (accepted in most Canadian green bins)
- ✓Dairy products and eggs
- ✓Coffee grounds and paper filters
- ✓Tea bags (paper or mesh — not synthetic)
- ✓Bread, pasta, rice, and grains
- ✓Cooking oils and fats (small amounts)
- ✓Soiled paper napkins and paper towels
- ✓Certified compostable bags and containers (look for BPI certification)
- ✓Cut flowers and house plants (no soil)
- ✓Pet food (wet)
- ✗Plastic bags (even if labelled compostable — check your city)
- ✗Styrofoam trays or containers
- ✗Non-certified compostable packaging
- ✗Litter and kitty litter (garbage)
- ✗Diapers — garbage
- ✗Large amounts of cooking oil — garbage or cooking oil drop-off
Black Bin / Garbage Cart
Black or dark greyGarbage / Residual Waste
- ✓Everything that cannot go in the recycling or organics bin
- ✓Diapers and feminine hygiene products
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics (plastic bags, cling wrap — see grocery store drop-offs)
- ✓Coffee cups and lids
- ✓Styrofoam packaging
- ✓Greasy pizza boxes
- ✓Broken dishes, ceramics, and glassware
- ✓Kitty litter and pet waste
- ✓Vacuum cleaner bags
- ✓Tissues and facial wipes
- ✓Disposable razors
- ✗Electronics — e-waste drop-off
- ✗Batteries — grocery store battery bins or hazardous waste depot
- ✗Medications — pharmacy drop-off
- ✗Propane tanks — hardware store or hazardous waste depot
- ✗Motor oil and paint — household hazardous waste (HHW) depot
Glass Collection (Select Cities)
Purple (some Calgary, Ottawa drop-off points); Blue Box in most Ontario citiesGlass Recycling (separate from Blue Box in some cities)
- ✓Clear, brown, and green glass bottles and jars (rinsed)
- ✓Lids removed (metal lid → recycling bin)
- ✗Window glass and mirrors — special disposal
- ✗Ceramics and porcelain — garbage
- ✗Crystal glassware — garbage
- ✗Light bulbs — electronics/HHW drop-off
- ✗Deposit bottles — return to bottle depot or Beer Store
Deposit-Return / Bottle Deposit — Bottle Deposit System
All Canadian provinces have a deposit-return system for beverage containers, but the system varies by province. Ontario: Beer Store accepts beer bottles and cans (LCBO and The Beer Store); Ontario Deposit Return Program (ODRP) handles other beverages since 2008. BC: Return-It depots accept all deposit-bearing containers (most comprehensive system — accepts wine bottles, liquor, juice, water, all beverages). Alberta: Depot Recycling system — return to any Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation (ABCRC) depot (over 200 in Alberta). Quebec: Consigne Québec (Consignaction) Phase 2 launched March 1, 2025 — expanded to cover all ready-to-drink plastic beverage containers 100mL–2L (water, juice, soft drinks, milk, spirits), adding ~1.2 billion containers to a total of ~5 billion annually. Phase 3 (glass and multi-layer carton containers) planned for March 2027. Most provinces: grocery stores have automated return kiosks (RVM — reverse vending machines).
Ontario: $0.10 per container under 630ml; $0.20 per container 630ml+. BC: $0.05–$0.40 depending on container type and size. Alberta: $0.10–$0.25 per container. Quebec (Consigne): $0.10 per container for all covered beverage containers — Phase 2 (March 2025) expanded coverage to all plastic ready-to-drink beverages 100mL–2L.
Return deposit-bearing containers to The Beer Store (Ontario beer/cider), LCBO (Ontario wine and spirit bottles), grocery store return kiosks, or provincial bottle depots. In BC, any Return-It depot accepts all types regardless of where purchased. In Alberta, take to any ABCRC depot. Containers must have the deposit label visible and be uncrushed (automated kiosks require barcodes). Refund is paid in cash or as a receipt redeemable at the store checkout.
Special Disposal
Best Buy, Staples, and most electronics retailers accept old electronics for free recycling (no purchase required). Municipal e-waste drop-off events and depots. Ontario: Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES) drop-off locations at many municipalities. BC: Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA) drop-offs at 200+ locations. Search recyclemyelectronics.ca for the nearest drop-off by postal code.
Includes TVs, computers, monitors, phones, tablets, printers, cables, chargers, small appliances, and gaming consoles. Wipe personal data before recycling. Never place electronics in any bin — it is illegal in most provinces.
Call2Recycle bins at Canadian Tire, Home Depot, IKEA, London Drugs, and most grocery stores accept all types of batteries. Municipal household hazardous waste (HHW) depots. Never place in any bin — household batteries contain toxic materials.
Single-use AA, AAA, C, D, 9V: Call2Recycle. Rechargeable (lithium-ion from laptops, phones): tape over terminals before dropping off. Car batteries: Canadian Tire and most auto parts stores accept for free.
Return unused or expired medications to any pharmacy (Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall, Loblaws pharmacy, etc.) — pharmacies across Canada accept returns at no charge under the MedReturn program. Sharps: use a puncture-resistant sharps container (available at pharmacies) and return to a pharmacy or HHW depot.
Never flush medications down the toilet — they contaminate the water supply and are difficult to filter at treatment plants.
Municipal HHW depots accept: paint, varnish, solvents, motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides, pool chemicals, propane tanks, and fluorescent bulbs. Search your city's website for "household hazardous waste" + your city. Toronto: two permanent HHW sites (Dufferin and Ingram Drive); scheduled mobile events. Vancouver: four GVRD HHW depots open year-round.
Never pour paint, oil, or chemicals down the drain or in any bin — environmental offence with significant fines. Latex paint can be dried out (leave lid off, stir in kitty litter) and placed in garbage when solid.
HHW depot (small quantities). Many municipalities have cooking oil drop-offs at select grocery stores. Never pour down the drain — it solidifies and causes sewer blockages (fatbergs).
Collect in a sealed container. Some cities convert collected cooking oil to biodiesel.
Value Village, Salvation Army, and Goodwill accept clothing donations. Many municipalities have textile collection bins (Diabetes Canada, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Value Village). H&M and Zara have in-store textile recycling bins. Torn or unwearable textiles are still accepted for fibre recycling — do not put in the bin.
Donations should be clean and dry. Remove odours before donating. Shoes are accepted (pair them together).
Canadian Propane Association exchange program: return empty cylinders to Canadian Tire, Home Depot, or any propane exchange location. HHW depot for tanks without exchange value.
Never place in any bin. Small propane canisters (camping): some cities accept at HHW depots.
Home Depot and IKEA accept compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and fluorescent tubes for recycling. HHW depots. LED bulbs: regular recycling (no mercury) or e-waste depot.
CFLs and fluorescent tubes contain mercury — handle carefully. Never put in any bin.
Bulk Waste
Bulky item (large item) collection is a municipal service — policies differ by city. Toronto: bulk item collection requires an online booking at toronto.ca/bulkpickup; items are placed at the curb on the scheduled collection day (maximum 5 items; appliances with refrigerant — fridges, ACs — require prior decommissioning by a licensed technician). Vancouver: book a large item pickup at vancouver.ca or take items to a transfer station. Calgary: free bulky item drop-off at City of Calgary landfill sites. Many municipalities hold spring and fall large item collection events. Electronics and hazardous materials are NOT accepted as bulk items — use special drop-offs. Furniture left on the curb: common in university cities (Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa) at end-of-lease season (May–June 30) — many usable items are claimed by passersby.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ! Placing plastic bags in the blue box — they jam sorting machinery at recycling facilities; take to grocery store plastic bag drop-off bins (Loblaw, Sobeys, Metro all participate).
- ! Putting coffee cups in recycling — most Canadian paper coffee cups have a plastic lining and are NOT recyclable; place in garbage.
- ! Greasy pizza boxes in recycling — grease contaminates paper recycling; place in garbage or remove the clean top half and recycle that portion.
- ! Leaving lids on glass jars — metal lids should go separately in the recycling bin (small enough to sort); remove and recycle separately.
- ! Putting shredded paper loose in the blue box — shredded paper falls through sorting equipment; place in a paper bag or tied bundle.
- ! Rinse containers, but only briefly — a quick rinse is sufficient; residual food traces are acceptable, excessive washing wastes water.
- ! Not separating recyclables from garbage in apartments — many landlords provide a blue box and green bin per unit; if not available, ask your building manager or city about multi-residential recycling services.
- ! Putting deposit bottles in the recycling bin — they should be returned to the Beer Store, LCBO, or bottle depot to reclaim your deposit.
- ! Placing electronics in any bin — illegal in most provinces and results in toxic materials leaching into landfills.
Fines & Enforcement
Most Canadian cities do not routinely fine individual households for recycling errors — contaminated loads are typically left uncollected with a tag explaining why. However: illegal dumping (fly-tipping) fines range from $300–$10,000+ depending on the city and amount of material. Toronto: $300–$100,000 for illegal dumping. Improper disposal of electronics (Ontario): violation under the WEEE regulation. Improper disposal of hazardous waste: environmental offence under provincial environmental protection legislation — fines up to $1,000,000 for severe cases. Commercial properties and multi-residential buildings are subject to higher scrutiny and compliance inspections.
Practical Tips
- → Download your city's waste app for your collection schedule and sorting guide: Toronto — Waste Wizard at toronto.ca; Vancouver — RecycleCoach app; Calgary — My Waste app; Ottawa — Waste Explorer; Montreal — Info-collectes app.
- → The Recycling Council of Ontario's What Goes Where tool (rco.on.ca/blue-box-recycler/what-goes-where) lets you search any item to find out which bin it belongs in.
- → In apartment buildings, check what recycling facilities your building provides — not all Ontario multi-residential buildings are enrolled in the expanded blue box program. The City can compel landlords to provide recycling services.
- → End-of-lease season (June 30 in Ontario, August 31 in many cities) generates enormous amounts of discarded furniture and household goods. Items placed at the curb the night before or on collection day are often taken by neighbours — a sustainable way to acquire furnishings as a newcomer.
- → Canadian Tire and Home Depot are the most convenient spots for battery, CFL, and paint recycling — combine a shopping trip with a recycling drop-off.
- → Composting reduces your garbage bin usage significantly. Many cities offer free or subsidised home composting bins for residents — check your municipality's green bin program for subsidies.