What Goes Where

Recycling collected in the City's curbside collection program is collected under the provincial Recycle BC program. View an infographic for more information on what happens to curbside recycling after it is collected by the City.

Please see below for common materials that are accepted in your blue recycling cart.

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Placing unacceptable material in the blue recycling cart can negatively impact the recycling process leading to less material actually being recycled. A few spoonfuls of peanut butter left in a container can contaminate a tonne of paper and make it unmarketable. Same for that glob of yogurt left in the bottom of the container.

Other contaminants can cause damage to machines, diminish the quality and financial value of recycled materials and lead to unsafe conditions for workers. Contamination is the reason manufacturers reject tonnes of recyclables, leaving some material destined for the landfill.

Please see below for material that should NOT be placed with curbside recycling.

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• Flatten cardboard boxes before placing in your blue recycling cart.  Larger pieces of cardboard that do not easily fit inside the cart should be cut into smaller pieces or dropped off at a depot for recycling.
• Ensure recyclables are empty, clean and dry.  Items don’t need to be spotless, a quick rinse is all you need!  This will help reduce pests, odours and mess, and results in more material being recycled.
• Keep items soiled with food, grease and liquids out of curbside recycling.  Paper items that are soiled can be placed in your green compost cart.
• Remove caps, lids and pumps from containers and place loose in your blue recycling cart.
• Leave labels on.  There is no need to remove these anymore as new technology allows for label removal to take place at the processing facility.
• If you have plastics that are the same container type, shape and resin code (the number in the triangle symbol), feel free to stack them before placing in your blue recycling cart.
• Plastic bags, ziploc bags and wrappers are not accepted in your blue recycling cart and need to be dropped off at a depot.
• Try our Abbotsford Sorts digital waste sorting game to test your knowledge on what goes where.

Materials not accepted in curbside recycling may be accepted for drop off at a recycling depot or other location in the City as part of various Product Stewardship programs. The City’s Residential Recycling Drop-Off Handbook provides information on how recycling is set up in our community and province.  A list of local recycling depots is available on the City’s website and additional drop off locations can be found by searching your material in the Waste Wizard.

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New items have been added to Recycle BC’s residential packaging and paper recycling program effective January 1, 2023! These include packaging-like and single-use products. This change is the result of an amendment to the Province of BC’s Recycling Regulation. Some of these items were previously accepted in the program if the item was indistinguishable from packaging (e.g. foil pie plates, kraft paper bags). Visit the Recycle BC website for more information and examples of accepted items!

The newly added items will be accepted either in home recycling carts or at depots, depending on what the item is. 

1. New items that are flexible plastics or foam will only be accepted at depots.
2. New items that are rigid plastic, aluminum foil, metal, paper or cardboard will be accepted in your blue cart or depots.

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Please see below for common materials that are accepted with curbside compostables.

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What goes into the green compost cart directly affects the quality of compost produced. Keeping contaminants out of compostables ensures the final compost will be a high quality product that can actually be used. Please see below for material that should NOT be placed in your green cart.

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Additional yard waste may be dropped off at the Pacific Coast Renewables composting facility located at 5050 Gladwin Road:

• Residents that receive the City’s curbside collection service can use one of the yard waste coupons that are mailed out with the annual collection calendar.
• Additional charges may apply for larger diameter stumps and branches.
• A gate charge will apply for those without a coupon or for those dropping off food waste.

Larger stumps and branches are best handled by a tree service contractor or residents can bring these items to Pacific Coast Renewables for a charge. Information on hours and rates are available on the Pacific Coast Renewables website or call 604-557-7065. Check out our Excess Waste page for more ideas on how to managed extra yard waste.

You can cut down on the amount of garbage generated by recycling and composting as much as possible. Find out whether an item is recyclable, compostable or garbage by searching for your item in the Waste Wizard. Please see below for common materials that are accepted in your grey cart.

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Extra garbage that does not fit inside your grey cart can be dropped off at a local transfer station where additional disposal fees will apply. Visit our Excess Waste page for more ideas on how to decrease the amount of waste sent to landfill.

Residents can put their pumpkins directly into their green compost cart for curbside collection. Please ensure you remove candles and non-compostable decorations. Painted pumpkins are not accepted.

Pumpkins can also be taken directly to the Pacific Coast Renewables composting facility for free. The composting facility is located at 5050 Gladwin Rd. Contact Pacific Coast Renewables Corp. at 604-604-557-7065 for more information.

During the holidays, the amount of waste generated increases by approximately 25%! Here are some tips on how you can reduce your waste and lessen your impact on the holiday season.

REDUCE: Save money and avoid overconsumption

• Plan ahead. Use a grocery list to avoid buying food you don’t need.
• Buy local. Locally made items don’t need to be shipped long distances and often have less packaging.
• Buy in bulk. Purchase grocery items from bulk bins and fill reusable containers and bags to cut down on packaging.
• Create memories, not waste. Consider giving gifts of culture, wellness, time and experience that don’t generate waste. Movie tickets, club memberships and gift certificates for dinners or spa treatments are all great options.

REUSE: Replace single use items with reusable versions

• BYOB. Bring your own bag when doing your holiday shopping.
• Wrap wise. Reuse ribbons, bows and gift bags, and use “upcycled” newspapers, paper bags or magazines for wrapping paper.
• Borrow from nature. Decorations can be found in your backyard. Pinecones, branches, leaves, and twigs can all be used as festive decor.
• Entertain in green. Skip disposable dishes, cutlery and napkins in place for reusable versions.

RECYCLE: Give items a second life so they become new things

• Compost. Compost unusable food scraps. Natural Christmas trees can also be cut to size and placed in your green compost cart.
• Drop off old Christmas lights. Broken or working string lights and extension cords can be dropped off for free at a recycling depot. Please keep these out of your blue recycling cart.
• Recycle right. Unsure of where an item goes? Use the City’s Waste Wizard to learn how to properly recycle and dispose of hundreds of items.

Here is some recycling and disposal information on common holiday wrapping materials that people often wonder about:

• Wrapping paper
  Most paper wrapping paper can be placed in your blue recycling cart. Foil-lined or holographic wrapping paper is not accepted for recycling and should be disposed of in your grey garbage cart.
• Tissue paper
  Tissue paper used to wrap presents or fill gift bags can be placed in your blue recycling cart.
• Ribbons and bows
  Ribbons and bows should be disposed of in your grey garbage cart.
• Gift bags
  Paper gift bags can be placed in your blue recycling cart. Be sure to remove handles, metal grommets and decorations such as bows or ribbons. Similar to wrapping paper, gift bags with foil lining or non-paper decoration are not recyclable as they are not compatible with the recycling process.
• Greeting cards
  Greeting cards can be placed in your blue recycling cart. If your card plays music or a recorded greeting, be sure to remove the electronic circuitry and battery first before placing in recycling. The electronic circuitry and battery can be dropped off at a depot that accepts electronics or batteries. Find depot locations by searching ‘batteries’ in the Waste Wizard.
• Gift baskets
  Neither cellophane wrap used with gift baskets, nor the basket itself are able to be recycled.  Dispose of cellophane wrap in your grey garbage cart. Reuse or donate the basket. Shredded paper basket filler is okay to include within your blue recycling cart providing it is contained inside a cardboard box or paper bag.
• Packages
  Cardboard boxes used for shipping gifts should be broken down so that they lay flat before placing in your blue recycling cart. Tissue or kraft paper packaging can also be placed in your blue recycling cart. Bubble wrap and plastic shipping envelopes can be dropped off for free at a Recycle BC Depot. Foam packaging peanuts are not currently recyclable and should be disposed of in your grey garbage cart.

View our Seasonal Waste Sorting Guide for more tips on what goes where this holiday season!

Christmas trees can be cut into smaller pieces and placed in your green compost cart. Please ensure the lid is fully closed on any cart placed at the curb.

Christmas trees can also be taken directly to the Pacific Coast Renewables Corp. composting facility where they will be accepted free of charge. The composting facility is located at 5050 Gladwin Road. Contact  604-557-7065 for more information.

Decorated or flocked trees are not collected curbside or accepted at the composting facility. These items should be taken to a transfer station for disposal.

• Valentine's Day Waste Sorting Guide
• Easter Waste Sorting Guide
• Spring Clean Up Waste Sorting Guide
• Halloween Waste Sorting Guide
• Christmas Waste Sorting Guide

• 2022 Curbside Cart Collection Guide - English
• 2022 Curbside Cart Collection Guide - Punjabi

• Residential Recycling Drop-Off Handbook
• Quick Reference Depot Recycling Page

• Acceptable Kitchen Container Liners for Curbside Collection

• Pet Owner Guide to Managing Pet Waste

• Recycling Council of British Columbia
• Recycling Council of BC Recycling Hotline: 1-800-667-4321

Play Abbotsford Sorts and test out your knowledge on what goes where.

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