Blue Cart Recycling Program
Blue Cart Recycling is part of Waste Plan Regina, and it’s a symbol of our commitment to build a cleaner, greener and more sustainable city. Put your recyclable items inside your Blue Cart, a Big Blue Bin or through your Multi-Family Condo and Apartment recycling program container. Learn what is acceptable in the recycling program and what happens to recyclables after they leave your home.
Learn more about the materials that are acceptable in the blue cart recycling program.
- All plastic bottles and containers labelled #1-7 (most containers for yogurt, milk, peanut butter, condiments, beverages, vitamins, mouthwash, shampoo, bleach, detergent and more)
- Cardboard, boxes, newspapers, magazines and other paper products
- Shredded paper must be put in a clear plastic bag and tied closed
- Pizza boxes if there is no grease or food left in the box
- Tin food and beverage containers such as coffee cans and soup cans
- Aluminum cans, bottles, containers and foil
- Glass food and beverage containers
- Tetra Pak containers for soup and beverages
- Milk and ice cream cartons
- Black and clear takeout food containers such as roast chicken trays
- Food trays labelled #1-7 such as fruit plastic clamshells
Residents are also welcome to take containers to SARCAN Recycling for a deposit refund.
Some items cannot be processed at the recycling facility.
Do not place the following items in your Blue Cart:
- Any plastic items not labelled with #1-7 such as pens, straws, laundry baskets and more
- Bottle caps and lids
- Plastic bags and plastic wrap
- Used tissues, napkins and paper towels
- Styrofoam packaging and trays
- Disposable cups for coffee, pop and fountain drinks
- Metallic juice and beverage pouches
- Glass that is not a food or beverage container such as ceramics, oven dishes and coffee mugs
- Shredded paper must be put in a clear plastic bag and tied closed to be recycled in your Blue Cart
- Housewares including ceramics, dishes and glasses, pots and pans, light bulbs, windows, mirrors and clothes hangers
- Strings, rope, wires and cables
- Garden hoses
- Christmas lights
- Construction material
- Hazardous waste such as household chemicals, motor oil, antifreeze, aerosol cans, batteries, lighters and paint cans
- Medical waste
- Diapers and personal hygiene products
- Electronics
- Food and kitchen waste
- Leaf and yard waste
- Tires
Many of these materials can be recycled or disposed of in other ways. Check with our online sorting tool, Waste Wizard, for items that may be recycled in other programs.
Recycling Guidelines
- Rinse your recyclable containers and put them into your Blue Cart – there’s no need to sort them.
- Please do not bag or stack your recyclables, put them loose inside your cart. Shredded paper is the one exception. It must be put in a clear plastic bag and tied closed to be recycled in your Blue Cart.
- Remove and discard any caps and lids.
- Flatten your boxes and cardboard so you will be able to fit more recyclables into your Blue Cart.
- Only put acceptable recyclables inside your Blue Cart. Any unacceptable materials have to be removed at the processing facility, and our costs increase based on the amount of unacceptable materials mixed in with the recycling.
Cart Placement & Collection Guide
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Step 1: |
Blue Cart Recycling
Brown Garbage Cart
Remember
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Step 2: |
On collection day, place the carts on even ground on the street or in the back alley before 7:30 a.m. Make sure they do not block traffic.
On the front street
In the back lane
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Step 3: |
Leave enough space around your cart so that you can easily walk around it. There should be at least one metre (four feet) of space between other objects such as parked cars, power poles, utility boxes, fences, downspouts and garages. |
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Step 4: |
Roll your empty cart back in a secure location on your property or against your fence after it has been collected. |
Report a Missed Collection
If you had your cart out by 7:30 a.m. on your scheduled collection day, contact Service Regina at 306-777-7000 or submit a service request online within two business days.
Loraas Disposal Services will collect your recyclables and drop them off at Emterra Environmental’s facility, located at the Global Transportation Hub in Regina. Emterra will use an automated, state-of-the-art system to separate and sort the recyclables.
Once the recyclables are sorted and packaged into bales, Emterra will sell the recyclables and give the City 25 per cent of the revenue. The City’s share of the revenue has been factored into the recycling fee.
The companies that buy our recyclables will use them to make new products. While there are many uses for recyclable materials, here are some examples:
- Plastic bottles can become new containers, fleece jackets, flower pots and plastic lumber.
- Cardboard can be turned into new boxes.
- Paper can be turned into egg cartons.
- Glass can be used to make fibreglass, abrasive materials, reflective paint for highways and new glass products.
- Newspapers can be recycled into fresh newsprint.
- Tin can be turned into car parts.
- Aluminum cans will be back on store shelves as new cans in as little as 60 days.
Residential Glass Recycling Pilot Program
Residents of Regina now have two options to recycle glass:
- Put it in your curbside Blue Cart
- Take it to SARCAN
The City is partnering with SARCAN Recycling to pilot an option to recycle non-refundable glass containers, like pickle jars, jam jars and olive oil bottles to improve Regina’s waste diversion rate.
Household glass is still accepted in the curbside Blue Cart Recycling Program.
Glass is a challenging material to recover from the curbside co-mingled recycling process, as there is some breakage. Glass taken to SARCAN provides another recycling alternative for residents.
Acceptable Items
- Glass food jars
- Jam, pickle, peanut and sauce jars
- Glass beverage bottles
- Wine, beer, and any other drink bottles
- Glass food bottles
- Olive oil, vinegar, steak sauce and dressing bottles
Unacceptable Items
- Household glassware
- Ceramics and houseware
- Construction and décor
- Windows, light bulbs, glass home décor
- Broken or dirty glass
- Glass must be intact and free of food
SARCAN Locations
Regina Angus, 1601 Angus Street
- Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Regina Fleury, 1421 Fleury Street
- Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Regina Grant Road, 2124A Grant Road
- Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Regina Rochdale, 6175 Rochdale Blvd
- Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Regina Victoria East, 2636 Victoria Avenue E
- Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Big Blue Bin
The Big Blue Bin Program has been available to residents for over 25 years and has recycled approximately 60,000 tonnes of paper and cardboard.
Locations
- 2151 Broad Street (beside 7-Eleven - enter from the alley)
- Jack Staples Arena – 444 North Broad Street
- Columbus Park - 2940 Pasqua Street
- Lakeshore Mall – 1380 23rd Avenue
- Northwest Leisure Centre – 1127 Arnason Street
- Rosemont Shopping Centre – 5140 4th Avenue
- Sandra Schmirler Centre – 3130 East Woodhams Drive
- Sportplex – 1717 Elphinstone Street
Acceptable Materials
- Newspapers
- Boxes (flattened)
- Cardboard (flattened)
- Flyers
- Telephone books
- Writing/office paper
- Magazines
Waste Management Plan for Multi-Family Properties
All multi-family properties are required to provide an onsite garbage and recycling collection. If your building doesn’t already use a recycling service, it is the responsibility of your property manager to provide one for you.
If you are a property manager of a multi-family property, fill our our online form.
