Curbside Recycling
A sustainable future starts at home.
Home is where change begins. From using a recycling bin to simply having a collection schedule on the fridge, when you ‘Think Green’ it helps keep waste out of our landfills.
Your regular household waste is all going to the curb anyway – the only real difference is what colour bag it’s in.
More and more communities across Newfoundland & Labrador are adopting Curbside Recycling Programs to make it easier than ever for your home to create habits that ensure a more sustainable future for everyone.
We all have a part to play – which is why MMSB has partnered with communities across the province to increase recycling at home. Discover curbside recycling information, tips, and resources below that can help you make a difference!
What’s Accepted
Newspapers, Flyers, & Junk Mail
Magazines, Catalogs, & Phone Books
Writing & Computer Paper (ex. lined, blank, coloured)
Envelopes (paper & plastic window only – not bubble/insulated mailers)
Books (remove hardcovers)
Boxboard (ex. cereal, crackers, frozen foods, detergent boxes, and more)
Egg Cartons (cardboard only, not Styrofoam)
Takeout Drink Trays
Empty Paper Towel & Toilet Paper Rolls
Corrugated Cardboard
Aluminum Trays (ex. pie plates, baking trays, and more)
Aluminum Cans (ex. soda, beer, and more)
Plastic Trays & Tubs (ex. butter & sour cream, fruit/vegetable trays, clamshell containers, and more)
Plastic Food Containers (ex. ketchup, mustard, yogurt, and more)
Plastic Cleaning Product Containers (ex. bleach, liquid laundry/dish detergent, all-purpose cleaners, spray bottles, windshield wash, and more)
Plastic Toiletries Containers (ex. shampoo, liquid soap, mouthwash, contact lens solution, body wash, and more)
Plastic Drink Bottles
Steel (tin) Cans (ex. soup, beans, tuna, coffee, and more)
Tetra Pak Containers (ex. juice, soup broth, and more)
Join the Curbside Revolution
Watch the video to learn What’s Accepted Curbside
What’s Not Accepted in Curbside Blue Bags?
Avoid contamination by excluding unaccepted items from your blue bag.
Glass
Non-Recyclable Coffee Cups
Tissues & Paper Towels
Wrapping Paper
Styrofoam
Large Plastic Buckets
Cat Litter Trays
Plastic Totes & Organizers
Children’s Toys
Flower Pots
Placing these items in your bag may cause it to be left behind. Please check with your local materials recovery facility or waste management authority for a complete list of items not accepted.
How to Prepare Your Curbside Recycling
Make sure your recycling is curbside ready by preparing it with a few quick and easy steps:
- Ensure all containers are free of debris and garbage
- Quickly rinse out all containers
- Remove parts with food or grease stains from boxes or paper (ex. pizza boxes)
Why Should I Recycle?
Recycling is a cycle – it keeps valuable resources in production by transforming them and extending their use.
When we recycle, we help give useful materials new life and purpose.
For more detailed information about what becomes of your recycling, check with your local waste management authority.
Curbside Recycling in Your Community
Curbside recycling is currently available to 83% of residents in Newfoundland and Labrador. Our digital toolkit empowers waste authorities, municipalities, and organizations to educate the greater public, spread community awareness, and post professional videos on their websites and social media. Everything in the toolkit, including the user guide, signage, and digital assets, is available for free use by the community.
Communities who would like to get involved, are looking for further resources, or would like their logos added to the toolkit, please email inquiries@mmsb.nl.ca.
- Blue Bag User Guide
- Blue Bag Magnet (3×4)
- Blue Bag Popup Banner
- Blue Bag Handout (5×7)
- Blue Bag Digital Assets
Shareable Videos
To share a video, hover over or select the video below, tap the share icon (dotted less than sign), and select your social media platform of choice to share or hit the download icon (down arrow) to download the video directly to your device for use anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Curbside Recycling in Newfoundland and Labrador
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You may see your recycling and garbage being loaded into the same truck – but this does not mean it is going to the same location! Recycling infrastructure varies between communities, with some using a split truck to collect garbage and recycling at the same time while others have a designated vehicle. Some smaller areas may even use a pickup truck and sort the materials later.
While recycling is collected in different ways, the main thing is that it all ends up at a materials recovery facility to be processed and begin its recycling journey. -
Currently, curbside recycling is available to 83% of residents in the province. There are some regions and communities that do not currently offer curbside services at this time.
For information about availability of services in your area, contact your regional waste management authority or municipality. -
Next to reducing and reusing our waste, recycling is one of the easiest and most effective ways that we can personally protect our environment and fight against climate change. We encourage residents to consider reducing the amount packaging they are purchasing and choose more reusable and environmentally-conscious options.
A lot of materials that are accepted through blue bag programs are currently being thrown in the garbage. If this material was recycled rather than disposed, residents could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 157,000 tonnes across Newfoundland and Labrador—the equivalent to taking 47,000 vehicles off the road!
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The types of materials accepted in curbside programs can vary between jurisdictions. This could be related to several factors, such as available markets for the material types, contamination risk to other materials, equipment used, and population size, to name a few. While some items have the potential to be recycled, there may not be an economically viable demand for them, or they may cause serious problems in terms of contamination of other materials or damage to equipment.
While we want to ideally recycle as much material as possible, it is important that regional waste management authorities and municipalities only accept items that make sense for the functionality and feasibility of programs in the province. Currently, this is the case for Styrofoam and plastic film. For example, some Styrofoam can break up easily, causing contamination of other material placed in the same bag. Additionally, Styrofoam markets are limited and have very high standards, even though the market value is low. In terms of plastic film, such as bread bags or food wrap, this material can contaminate other materials, cause damage to sorting and processing equipment by getting tangled, and has a low demand.
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While glass is accepted to be recycled in many jurisdictions, this material type can pose challenges to curbside collection which is why it is not currently accepted in local programs. That said, many glass used beverage containers like wine and spirits are recyclable at your local Green Depot.
In developing programs in this province, jurisdictions consulted with several Canadian municipalities running a curbside recycling program to understand what they might do differently if they could start all over again. The number one response we heard back was to not include glass because:
- Broken glass is an occupational health and safety issue for recycling sorters.
- Shards of broken glass can contaminate other recycling material.
- Glass has a very low market value and low demand, which often leads to the materials being stockpiled or sent to a landfill.
MMSB is committed to fostering innovative waste reduction initiatives and remains open to exploring new projects focused on glass recycling. Over the years, we have funded and actively considered projects involving the recycling of non-beverage container glass (such as glass pasta or jam jars) to expand waste diversion efforts across the province.
MMSB’s curbside waste audit data shows that less than 2% of what is put in the garbage in this province is glass jars and bottles. This is likely a reflection of a reduction in the use of glass packaging by manufacturers.
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If you look at the bottom of a container, you may notice a symbol consisting of a number surrounded by a triangle (or three arrows that make a recycling symbol). This is called the resin identification code. Many people think that this symbol means that the packaging can be recycled, however it’s just an indicator of the type of plastic used in the product.
Residents should not rely on these codes to determine whether packaging can be recycled curbside. Instead, refer to the “What’s Accepted” list provided on this webpage or your local waste management authority or municipality’s website.
For more information on what the numbers mean on plastic containers, visit: Plastic Action Centre
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We recycle over 19 million pounds of curb-side material right here in Newfoundland and Labrador. However, we know we could recycle a lot more!