What can go in your blue cart
Your blue cart is for acceptable household paper and packaging materials. Packaging is the material used to contain, protect, transport, or display a product.
It is important to recycle the right things in your blue cart and community recycling depots, and properly prepare your materials.
When you put in items that don't belong, it can cause injuries to workers and costly shutdowns at recycling sorting facilities.
Blue cart tips
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Recyclables must be empty, clean and loose (unbagged).
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All recyclables must fit inside the blue cart for pickup.
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Use What Goes Where to find the proper recycling and disposal answers.
Yes. Put these items into your blue cart
Plastic containers (bottles, jugs, tubes and tubs)
- Milk jugs, pop and juice bottles
- Yogurt and sour cream tubs
- Clamshell containers
- Cookie trays and party trays
- Takeout cups and containers
- Laundry detergent containers
- Body lotion containers and tubes
- Toothpaste tubes and deodorant containers
- Shampoo and conditioner bottles
- Plastic lids
Tip: Leave plastic lids on the empty plastic containers. If the lid is not plastic, remove and recycle separately.
New items accepted in your blue cart
- Toothpaste tubes
- Body lotion tubes
- Deodorant containers
Plastic bags and wrappers
All stretchy and crinkly bags and wrappers can be recycled. Bundling of bags is no longer required.
- Bread and produce bags
- Chip bags and granola wrappers
- Packaging wrappers and pouches
- Fruit and vegetable bags
- Pet food bags
- Bubble wrap and shipping bags
- Plastic wrapping used on toilet paper, paper towel and water bottle cases
- Plastic grocery and shopping bags
New items accepted in your blue cart
- Snack bags and wrappers
- Pet food bags
- Coffee pouches
- Frozen food pouches
Foam packaging
- Takeout containers, plates, bowls and cups
- Foam blocks used as cushion packaging used to protect new products
- Egg cartons and meat trays
- Packing sleeves, sheets and bags
New items accepted in your blue cart
Paper and cardboard
- Cardboard boxes, shoe boxes and shipping boxes
- Office paper, letters and envelopes
- Flyers, magazines, brochures and newspapers
- Toilet and paper towel tubes
- Pizza boxes (some grease is ok)
- Tissue boxes
- Cereal, cracker and pasta boxes (recycle liner bags separately)
- Paper gift wrap and paper bags
- Soup and beverage cartons (e.g.Tetra Pak® packages)
- Ice cream, milk cartons and juice boxes
- Spiral paper cans (metal bottom with cardboard cylinder) – recycle plastic lid separately
- Pringles cans
- Hot chocolate and coffee canisters
- Shredded paper (put in a clear bag and tied closed)
Tip: Flatten boxes to make more space in your bin.
New items accepted in your blue cart
- Pringles cans
- Coffee cannisters
- Hot chocolate canisters
Takeout packaging
Remove all food scraps into the compost before recycling the empty packaging.
- Paper coffee cups and fountain pop cups (separate lid)
- Burger boxes and French fry boxes
- Fast food paper bags
- Paper and plastic takeout containers
- Clamshell containers
- Pizza boxes
- Paper food trays
- Drink trays
Metal food containers
- Food cans for soup, chili, vegetable, fruit and tuna
- Pet food cans
- Pop cans
- Tin foil (crumple into ball)
- Foil takeout containers and pie plates
- Cookie and coffee tins
- Stove liners
- Metal tubes used for lotion, tomato paste etc.
- Metal lids
Tip: Leave metal lids on the empty metal containers. If the lid is not metal, remove and recycle separately.
Food and body aerosols
Only household aerosols that you can eat or apply to your hair, skin or body can go in the blue bin. See the household hazardous waste program for other chemicals and sprays.
- Hairspray and dry shampoo spray
- Shaving foam and gel aerosols
- Deodorant spray
- Sunscreen spray
- Bug repellent spray
- Cooking spray
- Whipped cream spray
Tip: Leave lids on if there is one.
New items accepted in your blue cart
Aerosols you can eat or apply to your body are now accepted in the blue cart.
Glass containers
- Glass food jars for jam, salsa, pickles, baby food etc.
- Pasta sauce jars
- Cooking oil bottles
- Beverage bottles
- Condiment jars
- Canning and mason jars
- Cosmetic jars
Tip: Remove lid from glass containers and recycle separately
Have other items to dispose?
Items for blue cart
View what items can't go into your blue cart for recycling.
Items for black cart
View what items can and can't go into your black cart for garbage.
Items for green cart
View what items can and can't go into your green cart for compost.