Calgary disposal answer
Toothpaste and lotion tubes: blue cart
Blue cart — Recycling
Since October 1, 2026, empty toothpaste, lotion, sunscreen and other squeeze tubes go in the blue cart with their caps left on.
Rule changed on . What else changed
How to prepare it
- Use up as much of the product as you can; the City only wants empty tubes in the blue cart.
- Leave the cap or flip-top on the tube rather than taking it off.
- Hand cream, hair gel, ointment, shampoo and face cleanser tubes are accepted, and so are metal tubes.
- For tomato paste and other food tubes, squeeze leftovers into the green cart before recycling.
- Recycle empty deodorant containers the same way with caps on; wipe paper deodorant tubes clean first.
Good to know
Only the empty tube is recyclable, not the product inside. If a lotion or cream tube still holds product you cannot use, the City says to put the tube and its contents in the black cart. Tubes go in the cart loose, never bagged. These tubes were added to the blue cart on October 1, 2026, so older advice to throw them out is out of date.
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