Changes to recycling on Oct. 5

Beginning Oct. 5, 2026, recycling services will change across the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo as Alberta’s Extended Producer Responsibility program moves into its next phase.

Depending on where you live, changes may include new curbside recycling service, different collection days, new recycling carts and an expanded list of accepted materials. In communities with existing curbside recycling, residents will no longer need to sort recycling into separate carts.

Visit the Circular Materials website and search for your community name to find your collection schedule, accepted recycling materials and other information about curbside recycling in your community.

Find your new recycling information

Curbside Collection

RMWB curbside collection provides convenient garbage collection for eligible homes across the region. Most single-family homes in Fort McMurray, Draper, Saprae Creek Estates, Gregoire Lake Estates and Anzac receive garbage collection at the end of their driveway or back alley.

Residential recycling is managed separately by Circular Materials. Have questions about recycling or the transition to Circular Materials? Check out the FAQs below.

Quick Links

Curbside Collection Calendar

Your Curbside Garbage Cart

Black cart: For household garbage.

Not sure if something belongs in household garbage? Use the online sorting tool to find out.

Beginning Oct. 5, 2026, Circular Materials will manage residential recycling collection in the region as part of Alberta’s Extended Producer Responsibility program.

Residents will receive a new blue recycling cart, recycling will be collected separately from garbage, and more materials will be accepted for recycling. Your recycling collection day has also changed. 

For recycling schedules, accepted materials and collection information:
Visit your Circular Materials community page.

Questions about recycling collection, carts or a missed pickup?
Contact Collective Waste Solutions
587-855-3928
cmcustomerservice@collectivewaste.ca

Bear carts are wildlife-resistant garbage bins available in certain neighbourhoods to help keep both residents and wildlife safe. Visit rmwb.ca/bearbins to learn more.

How to place your cart

To ensure safe and timely collection, please follow these guidelines:

  • Place collection cart at the curb (or back alleyway, if applicable) by 7:30 a.m. on your collection day
  • Face cart towards the road and hinges pointing towards the home.
  • Space cart at least 3 ft. (1 metre) from cars and 1 ft. (30 cm) from other bins.
  • On streets with parking congestion, pull cart away from the curb and into the roadway, just past parked vehicles but no further than the side view mirrors on vehicles.
  • Ensure lids are firmly closed.
  • Place materials in the correct cart.
  • Avoid putting collection cart out the night before your collection.

  • Place cart in front of windrows, never on top of snowbanks.

  • Keep bin lids free of snow and ice.

  • Clear snow and ice from the curb, driveway, or lane where carts are placed.

  • Ensure a clear path so crews can safely access your cart.

⚠️Carts blocked by snow, ice, or windrows may not be collected.

Some homes receive garbage and recycling collection from the alley behind their property. To see if this applies to you, check the back-alley collection map.

Placement guidelines:

  • Place cart on your property: beside/in front of your garage or at the edge of your back alley.

  • Face cart correctly: hinges and wheels toward your home (arrows on the bin show the right direction).

  • Leave space:

    • 3 ft. (1 m) from parked vehicles

    • 1 ft. (30 cm) from other cart

    • 3 ft. (1 m) from buildings or overhangs

Request Curbside Garbage Cart

If your home does not yet have a garbage cart, contact Pulse at 780-743-7000 to request them.

If your home does not yet have a blue recycling cart, contact Contact Collective Waste Solutions
at 587-855-3928 or cmcustomerservice@collectivewaste.ca

Homes with registered legal suites may request a garbage cart. Contact Pulse at 780-743-7000 to start the process.

Once we receive your request, our team will:

  • Confirm the address is a registered legal suite 
  • Provide you with the Additional Cart Request Form to sign, acknowledging an additional curbside collection charge per month
  • After the form is received, we update your billing record and deliver your new collection carts.  

Technology in Curbside Collection

To keep curbside collection safe, efficient, and cost-effective, the Municipality uses technology that’s common in many Canadian cities.

  • RFID tags on carts
    Each curbside garbage cart has a small RFID (radio-frequency identification) tag. These tags help confirm collection, improve route efficiency, and reduce fuel use and vehicle wear.

  • Cameras on collection trucks
    Collection trucks are equipped with cameras so drivers can see the materials being emptied from carts. This helps identify items that don’t belong, improves safety, and ensures bins are serviced correctly.

Together, these tools help keep collection on schedule, reduce costs over time, and support a cleaner, safer communities.

Frequently Asked Questions 

First, check if your cart met all collection requirements:

  • Was it at the curb by 7:30 a.m.?

  • Was it placed correctly and not blocked by vehicles, snow, or ice?

  • Did it contain only the right materials (no garbage in recycling, no hazardous or electronic waste)?

  • Was the correct colour recycling cart placed out that week?

If any of these requirements weren’t met, your cart will need to be collected on your next scheduled collection day.

If you did everything correctly and your collection was still missed, please contact Pulse for assistance.

Collection may be skipped if:

  • Carts are not correctly placed for pick up
  • There is wrong material in the cart
  • A parked vehicle was too close for collectors to collect cart
  • The wrong colour recycling bin was presented
  • There was hazardous waste or electronic waste present in the cart
  • Cart was not placed at the curb by 7:30 a.m.

Tags may be left to thank you for correct use, or to explain why collection wasn’t possible (for example, wrong items in the cart, blocked access, or hazardous materials).

If you receive a reminder tag, please correct the issue and place your cart out again on your next scheduled collection day.

Radio frequency identification is a type of tracking system that uses smart barcodes to identify curbside collection bins. Once installed and programmed, crews will be able to use a web-based system to track collection bins and improve collection services.

RFID tags are not intended to track your recycling habits, weigh your waste or increase collection charges.

The tags are simply a white paper strip that are applied to your existing bins. They are approximately 10 cm (4 inches) long and 1.5 cm (1/2 an inch) wide. Inside each strip is a battery-free chip that contains integrated circuit and antennae. 

The Municipality has several strategic priorities and values as defined by Mayor and Council. These priorities and values guide decision making and long-term planning, so we can support the vision of a vibrant, sustainable region we are proud to call home. This program is intended to support strategic priorities including responsible government, accountability, fiscal responsibility, customer service, integrity and working together.

The Municipality is always looking for opportunities to cut costs, spend wisely and make informed decisions. The RFID tag program aligns with these strategies and supports the Municipality's mission of delivering excellence – every day.

Please do not peel off or adjust the tags, as they could become damaged and not function properly.

Should you notice an issue with your tag, please contact Pulse at 780-743-7000, or 1-800-973-9663 (toll free).

Should you remove your tag intentionally, the RFID software will see this error and create an alert on the web-based system. You could be charged for replacement of the tags if they are tampered with.

No. Carts are assigned to your residence and remain the property of the Municipality or Circular Materials. They must stay at the address they are assigned to.

If you move to a new home within the region, or leave the region, please leave the carts.

If you live in a condo, apartment, or multi-unit building, your waste and recycling are usually collected through a private service provider arranged by your property manager.

In addition, you can use:

  • Municipal recycling depots – convenient drop-off sites for common recyclables.

  • The Public Drop-off at the Municipal Landfill – for recyclables, hazardous waste, electronics, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions - Circular Materials transition

As of October 1, 2026, the provincial recycling system for packaging and paper products in Alberta will be managed by a not-for-profit organization called Circular Materials. This change is part of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulation passed by the Government of Alberta in 2022 that shifts the financial and operational responsibility of recycling programs from municipalities to “producers” – businesses in Alberta that produce and supply packaging and paper materials to consumers. Starting on October 1, 2026, 105 communities – including Janvier, Conklin and Fort McKay - will receive household recycling collection service for the first time.   

As of October 5, 2026, the RMWB’s recycling program will be managed by Circular Materials.  

Across Alberta, and in the RMWB, packaging and paper recyclables will also be collected in one single stream recycling system. This means residents will no longer need to sort and separate paper packaging from plastics—everything can go into one recycling cart or depot bin.  

Beginning mid-September, Circular Materials’ new collection contractor, Collective Waste Solutions, will deliver new recycling carts to approximately 19,000 RMWB households. New recycling cart deliveries will roll out between September 22-30, 2026. The new carts will include labeled instructions about use and will include a recycling guide/collection schedule.  

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo will be removing existing/previous recycling carts between September 22-October 2.

New Carts: Fort McMurray residents will receive a new 240-litre blue recycling cart branded with Circular Materials information. These new blue carts will replace the two existing 240-litre RMWB recycling carts that have previously been in use.  

Pick Up of Old Carts: The RMWB will coordinate the pickup of old recycling carts starting September 22. 

Collection Schedule: Recycling collection will be increasing from 4 to 5 days.  Residents are asked to use their new recycling carts beginning October 5.  

Resident Information & Support:  Visit the dedicated Fort McMurray webpage for more information and customer service contacts.  

New Carts: Residents will receive new 240-litre blue recycling carts branded with Circular Materials information in September.  

Pick Up of Old Carts: The RMWB will coordinate the pickup of old recycling carts starting September 22.  

Collection Schedule: Weekly collection will increase from 4 to 5 days. Specific resident information is posted on local community webpages. Residents are asked to use their new recycling carts beginning October 1.  

Resident Information & Support: Visit the Circular Materials’ dedicated community webpages for more information and customer service contacts:  

New Carts: To support new curbside collection service launching in these communities, residents will receive new 360-litre recycling carts.  

Collection Schedule: The new bi-weekly curbside recycling service will begin on October 12, 2026. 

Resident Information & Support: Visit the Circular Materials’ dedicated community webpages for more information and customer service contacts:  

There are no scheduled changes for this community at this time.  We hope to start a depot program once the ice road opens this winter. Residents will be advised well in advance of any planned recycling system changes.  

  • If your garbage is currently picked up from your front curb, set your new Circular Materials recycling cart by your front curb.   

  • If your garbage is currently collected from your alley, set your new Circular Materials recycling cart behind your home in the alley.  

  • Place recycling cart at least 3 feet in front of or beside fences or vehicles.    

  • For rural one-way roads, please place carts on the designated collection side of the road.   

Please store the recycling cart on your property or along your alley fence line.  

Fill your recycling cart with recyclable paper and product packaging materials. Your items can be placed loose and empty inside the cart and do not need to be bundled or sorted. Do not use black garbage bags in your cart. Some examples of items that can be recycled include:  

  • Paper and cardboard.  

  • Glass containers.   

  • Plastic bottles and containers.  

  • Foam packaging like meat trays and take out containers.  

  • Flexible plastic packaging like chip packets, pet food bags and stretchy plastic bags.  

  • Toothpaste and deodorant tubes.  

  • Aerosol containers like hairspray and whipping cream.  

  • Paper laminates like hot and cold beverage cups and ice-cream containers.   

You can find the full list of recyclable materials that can be recycled here: www.circularmaterials.ca/AB. 

All local depots will remain open and active for collecting residential recycling through a single stream (all recyclables can be placed in the same bin) system. To find a depot near you, click here.  

  • For questions about existing RMWB recycling carts or waste collection contact Pulse at 780-743-7000 or toll-free at 1-800-973-9663.  

There is no cost to residents for recycling services for packaging and paper products. In 2022, the Government of Alberta passed regulation which introduced extended producer responsibility (EPR) for single-use packaging and paper products (PPP) in the province. EPR is a policy approach that shifts the financial and operational responsibility of recycling programs from municipalities to “producers” – businesses in Alberta that produce and supply packaging and paper materials to consumers. This new EPR framework means municipalities and taxpayers will no longer pay for recycling services as this cost will now be paid by producers.

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Council will discuss this matter at the upcoming Council Meeting on September 29th. You can tune into the meeting at the Municipality’s YouTube channel or at rmwb.ca/council.

This page will be updated following Council's decision.

Please continue to leave your recycling cart out until it is collected. Carts will be collected until Oct. 2. 

Contact Us

PULSE
Submit a request

Phone: 780-743-7000
Toll free: 1-800-973-9663

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