Calgary disposal answer
Paper towel and napkins
Food/hands: green · chemicals: black
Used paper towels and napkins go in the green cart, whether soiled with food or used to dry hands. Towels used with cleaning chemicals go in the black cart.
How to prepare it
- Soak up cooled grease or cooking fat with paper towel and put it in the green cart, up to two litres.
- Used facial tissues go in the green cart too; wet wipes and cleaning wipes go in the black cart.
- Recycle the empty cardboard roll and the plastic overwrap from the multipack in the blue cart.
- Don't flush paper towel or napkins; they don't break down the way toilet paper does and can damage pipes.
Good to know
Paper towel never goes in the blue cart, even when it's clean, because the City treats it as a product rather than packaging. Disposable cleaning pads and Swiffer cloths look similar but are garbage. Party napkins and serviettes follow the same rules as paper towel.
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