Calgary recycling changes: what’s new in the blue cart
Since October 1, 2026, Calgary’s blue cart accepts more kinds of packaging. Everything that was already recyclable still is, and blue cart pickup is still weekly.
Checked against City of Calgary sources on
You can now recycle snack bags and wrappers, pouches, toothpaste, deodorant and lotion tubes, foam packaging (blocks, egg cartons, meat trays, takeout containers) and aerosols you eat or apply to your body. Empty them, keep them loose in the cart, and remember that only packaging is accepted, not the products themselves.
What you can recycle now
| Packaging type | Examples | Item answer |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible bags and wrappers | Snack and chip bags, candy and granola-bar wrappers, packaging wrappers and pouches | Chip bags and wrappers |
| Tubes | Toothpaste, deodorant and lotion tubes | Toothpaste and lotion tubes |
| Foam packaging | Foam packaging blocks, foam egg cartons, meat trays and takeout containers | Styrofoam |
| Aerosols you eat or apply to your body | Hairspray, dry shampoo, shaving foam, deodorant and sunscreen sprays, cooking spray, whipped cream | Aerosol cans |
How to prepare the new items
- Empty. Pour out liquids and scrape food into your kitchen compost pail. Squeeze tubes and use up aerosols before recycling them.
- Clean. Rinse food containers such as takeout foam and meat trays, then shake out the water.
- Loose. Put recyclables in the blue cart loose, not bagged. Plastic bags go in loose too; bundling is no longer required. The exception is shredded paper, which goes in a tied, clear bag.
Which aerosols can go in the blue cart?
Only aerosols for things you eat or put on your body: hairspray, dry shampoo, shaving foam or gel, deodorant spray, sunscreen spray, bug repellent spray, cooking spray and whipped cream. The City says to leave the lid on.
Aerosol and CO2 containers with a hazard symbol (such as spray paint, cleaners and automotive or garden chemicals) are still household hazardous waste, whether full, empty or expired. Take them to a hazardous waste drop-off, and never puncture or crush them.
Packaging, not products
The blue cart is designed to sort packaging. A shoe box can be recycled, but shoes cannot. A cookie bag can be recycled, but not the cookies. Plastic packaging is accepted, but a plastic flashlight or toy is not, even though it is made of plastic. If something is meant to be used and kept, it needs another route; search the item to find it.
Why the rules changed
The changes come from Alberta’s Extended Producer Responsibility regulations, which make the companies that produce packaging responsible for recycling it. As a result, foam, aerosols and flexible wrappers must be accepted from October 1, 2026, and the same materials can be recycled across Alberta. Calgary’s blue cart material goes to a sorting facility in Rocky View County that was upgraded for the new materials.
Common mix-ups that still stay out
- Plastic cutlery, straws and cups labelled compostable go in the black cart, not the blue or green cart. Regular plastic cutlery and straws are recyclable.
- Loose foam packing peanuts have their own answer; check it before recycling them.
- Batteries, electronics, clothing and toys need their own drop-off routes.
Full blue cart guide · Paper coffee cups · Paper egg cartons
Know when your carts go out
Find the collection schedule for your exact Calgary address.
Find my pickup days