Blue Bag Collection
Blue Bag Collection follows a two-week collection schedule. Properties eligible for curbside collection receive blue bag collection every second week. A resident can determine which week represents their area's blue bag collection week in the following ways:
Blue Bag material is sorted into two streams. This means residents are required to separate their recyclables and paper products into two separate blue bags before placing curbside for collection. Blue Bag #1 is used for Containers and Plastics while Blue Bag #2 is used for Paper Products. Residents are reminded that only blue transparent bags must be used to dispose of their recyclables. Please remember blue bags must be clearly visible at the curb on your area's collection day.
What Goes in Blue Bag #1 and Blue Bag #2
The following items can be placed in your Blue Bag #1
Containers & Plastics
- Juice cartons*
- Beer/wine & liquor bottles*
- Pop & water bottles*
- Glass bottles & jars
- Aluminum/tin/steel cans
- Aluminum pie plates & trays
- Milk (cartons, jugs & bags)
All Plastic Containers & Plastic Packaging including:
- Cookie & sweet trays
- Plastic bottles, jars & containers
- Shampoo & conditioner bottles
- Empty Cleaning bottles (remove spray nozzles)
- Empty plastic laundry detergent jugs (no boxes)
- Yogurt & pudding containers
- Empty plastic bags (bread, grocery & shopping bags)
Items marked with a * can also be returned to any ENVIRO-DEPOTTM in CBRM. For a list of Enviro-Depots in CBRM visit find your nearest Enviro-Depot
Preparing Materials for Blue Bag #1
- All plastic containers and packaging must be empty, clean and contain no food residue.
- The contents of your blue bag used for containers and packaging should weigh no more than 12 kg (25 pounds).
- Containers and packaging must be placed in blue transparent blue bags.
- All milk cartons are placed inside Blue Bag #1 along with your other containers and plastics.
- Labels do not have to be removed from cans, containers or bottles.
Please make sure:
- There are NO paper products mixed in with your blue bag used for containers and plastics.
- There are NO Needles, Lancets, Syringes, Auto Injectors & Infusion sets mixed in with your blue bag used for containers and plastics.
- There is NO food waste mixed in in with your blue bag used for containers and plastics.
- There is NO household garbage mixed in with your blue bag used for containers and plastics.
- There is NO residential hazardous waste materials mixed in with your blue bag used for containers and plastics.
The following items can be placed in Blue Bag #2
Paper Products
- Newsprint
- Paper egg cartons
- Phone books
- Paper (including shredded paper)
- Boxboard (cereal, shoe & tissue boxes)
- Pizza boxes (no food residue)*
- Envelopes (including plastic windows)
- File folders
- Flyers, magazines and catalogues
- Glossy flyers and paper
- Letter, office and scribbler paper
- Soft covered books
- Hard cover books (covers removed)**
- Paper towel cores and toilet paper cores
- Corrugated cardboard (flattened, bundled and tied. Bundles must be no greater than 2 feet x 3 feet x 8 inches in size)
- Paper carry out trays
- Paper bags
* Soiled pizza boxes can be placed inside your green cart.
** Hard covers must be removed and placed in the regular garbage
Preparing materials for Blue Bag #2
- Paper products must be clean and dry and contain no food residue.
- Staples do not have to be removed from paper.
- Paper clips should be removed from paper.
- Milk and juice cartons must be disposed of in the blue bag used for containers and plastics along with your other containers and plastics.
- Cardboard not placed inside your blue bag must be flattened, bundled and tied. Bundles must be no greater than 2 feet x 3 feet x 8 inches in size.
Please make sure:
- There are NO containers and plastics mixed in with your blue bag used for paper products.
- There are NO Needles, Lancets, Syringes, Auto Injectors & Infusion sets mixed in with your blue bag used for paper products.
- There is NO Glass items mixed in with your blue bag used for paper products.
- There is NO food waste mixed in in with your blue bag used for paper products.
- There is NO household garbage mixed in with your blue bag used for paper products.
- There is NO residential hazardous waste materials mixed in with your blue bag used for paper products.
Important Blue Bag Collection Reminders
- Blue Bags must not be stored inside your green cart during curbside collection. A green cart that contains blue bags will be tagged and left unemptied by the collector.
- Do not tie your blue bags together for collection.
- Do not place residential hazardous waste material in your blue bags.
- At the end of the collection day, if your blue bags have not been removed by the collector, please remove from the curb. It is your responsibility to remove uncollected materials after 9pm on your area's collection day.