CartSmart Education Program

From August to October 2021, the City piloted a new automated technology developed by Regina-based Prairie Robotics to check blue carts, moving away from manual checks physically completed by staff.

A camera installed on a recycling truck took an image of the blue cart contents when it was emptied and then software tracked items that did not belong. If an unacceptable item was spotted, an “Oops” mailout was delivered to the household regarding the incorrect item(s) with helpful tips.

By checking blue carts, the program hoped to:

• Encourage proper sorting
• Gather information on common mistakes

2021 Program Summary

The 2021 CartSmart education program has successfully wrapped up with an additional 9,875 households receiving sorting feedback thanks to the use of new automated technology. A total of 11,875 households' blue carts were checked over several collection weeks.

Here is a look at the results:

• 22.7% of households sorted their recyclables correctly
• 77.3% of households had unacceptable items in their blue carts, receiving an “Oops” mailer
• 41.5% made improvements after receiving the “Oops” mailer.

We compiled a list of the top three common items found in the recycling carts that don’t belong. Please remember to put the following items in your garbage cart:

• 31% clear plastic bags or film
• 26.8% plastic checkout bags
• 15.2% styrofoam

Did you receive an “Oops” card in the mail? 

Avoid Common Recycling Mistakes

It’s important to only put acceptable items in your blue cart. The wrong items can reduce the quality of good recyclables and damage sorting equipment. Please refer to your mail card to see what items don’t belong in your blue cart.

Be CartSmart

Remember the following when recycling:

• Keep recyclables loose in the cart.
• Don’t bag or stack items.
• Rinse your recyclable containers.
• Don’t let your carts overflow.

Recycling is worth the effort to protect the environment for future generations and increase the life of our landfill.

For more information about this program, or if you have a broken cart, contact Service Regina at 306-777-7000 or through the Online Request Form.

Don’t forget to check the Waste Wizard tool to find out where to put your household waste items. Simply type in the item into the search box and it will tell you which cart or drop-off location.