Collection Events

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. For more information, check out the Frequently Asked Questions section below. 

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.

In the RMWB, there is a variety of collection events offered throughout the year to help residents recycle and properly dispose of items.

Collection events include:

Have questions about seasonal programs? Contact PULSE.


Yard Waste Collection

Yard waste collection will continue until Oct. 30 or snowfall!

Yard waste collection is underway across the region. Please continue to place your bags curbside by 7:30 a.m. on your scheduled collection day and leave them out until they are picked up. Collection timing may vary, so if your bags remain at the curb, please leave them out. Crews will continue working throughout the region each week to collect yard waste bags.

Yard waste collection is available in Fort McMurray, Draper, Saprae Creek Estates, Gregoire Lake Estates and Anzac. 

Yard waste can also be dropped off at the municipal landfill year-round, seven days a week (excluding statutory holidays) from 8:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. at no charge.

The following materials can go in your brown paper yard waste bags:

  • Grass clippings
  • Leaves
  • Flowers
  • Weeds
  • Culled plants
  • Small twigs less than 30 centimetres (12 inches) long

The following materials cannot go in your brown paper yard waste bags:

  • Kitchen food scraps
  • Pumpkins 
  • Pet waste
  • Dirt, rocks and gravel
  • Non-organic garden waste such as broken plant pots, plastic sheeting and metal stakes 
  • Commercial yard waste
  • Plastic and compostable bags

Residents are not permitted to dump yard waste on to municipal property, like parks or public utility lots.

Heavy Item Pickup

Heavy Item Pickup has ended for 2026

The municipality offers the Heavy Item Pickup program each year to help dispose of large household items in a convenient and cost-effective way.

Residents can register up to 4 items per household. Learn more below:

This program helps you dispose of large household items that cannot be set out for regular curbside collection. You can register up to four large household items to have picked up at the curb. Once registered, you are given a pickup date.

Registration is limited and all registered items must be at the curbside by 8 a.m. on the assigned pickup day. This program is not available for commercial and construction related items.

The program is free; however, additional fees apply for certain items. See the list of applicable fees below

Register here

Note: The Heavy Item Pickup program is available in Fort McMurray, Draper, Saprae Creek, Anzac and Gregoire Lake Estates. The program is not available in Janvier, Conklin Fort McKay or Fort Chipewyan. 

Heavy household items can be disposed of at the Municipal landfill year-round. Applicable fees apply please visit rmwb.ca/landfill for details.

 

The program allows residents to schedule curb-side pickup of the following items:

  • Sofas / couches
  • Love seats / chairs
  • Mattresses* / box springs*
  • Exercise Equipment (treadmill, elliptical) 
  • Metal frame bed
  • Dressers
  • Stoves
  • Dishwashers
  • BBQs
  • Washers
  • Dryers
  • Large televisions (24-inch tube or 27 inches and larger)
  • Refrigerators / air conditioners / water coolers*
  • Freezers*
  • Tables - kitchen / dining room
  • Desk - office / computer

+ Landfill fees apply to mattresses, box springs, refrigerators, and freezers.

The municipality will pick-up a number of registered heavy items at no charge. However, there will be additional fees for:

  • Mattresses - $35
  • Box springs - $35
  • CFC appliances - $50.60
    • Includes items such as refrigerators, freezers, water coolers and air conditioners.
    • Documentation is required if you have CFC removed by a technician.

Fees will be added to monthly utility bills. 

  • This program is for residential properties only.
  • Items must be placed at the curb or roadside by 8:00 a.m. on the day of the appointment.
  • If your regular collection is in the back alley, please place items at the front of the home curbside, not in the back alley.
  • Due to demand and collection routes, pickup may take up to 48 hours.
  • Crews cannot go onto private property or return for items that were not put out for pickup.
  • Please ensure your civic address number must be clearly visible from the roadside.
  • Doors on refrigerators and freezers must be removed prior to pickup to prevent children and small animals from being trapped. Item(s) must be clean with no food inside.
  • Exercise equipment must be taped or tied together before pickup to help prevent injury during collection.

Any non-registered items will be left at the curb and are the responsibility of the property owner.

Big Bin Events

Big Bin events will be hosted accross the region between May 31 - June 28, 2026.

Big Bin Events are  hosted across the region to help residents dispose of household items such as large furniture, appliances, renovation materials and electronic waste. 

These events are free but additional fees will apply for select items. Click on Accepted items and fees below for details.

MacDonald Island Park May 31, 2026 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Anzac Old Firehall June 7, 2026 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Centerfire Place June 14, 2026 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Vista Ridge June 21, 2026 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Gregoire Lake Estates Municipal Lift Station June 28, 2026 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The big bin events allow residents to drop off large household items that cannot be set out for regular waste collection. This includes large furniture, appliances, renovation materials and electronic waste. 

Most large household items are accepted at no charge. However, fees are applicable for the following items:

  • Mattresses - $35
  • Box springs - $35
  • CFC appliances - $50.60
    • Includes items such as refrigerators, freezers, water coolers and air conditioners.
    • Items that have CFC removed beforehand are required to have documentation from a certified technician. Failure to produce documentation could result in charges for CFC removal.

Fees are collected at the events. Applicable fees will be applied to monthly utility bills.

Residents are required to show photo ID and proof of address before disposing of any items that have a fee associated with disposal. 

Christmas Tree Drop Off

Christmas tree drop-off is now closed. The program will return next year.

After the holidays, the Christmas Tree Drop Off program helps residents dispose of natural Christmas trees easily with drop-off sites around town.

Missed it? Please take your tree to the landfill or your local transfer station and follow on-site disposal instructions.

 

Pet Waste Drop Off

Spring dates are now available

Residents can drop off pet waste at convenient locations every spring free of charge.

Please remember to always double-bag pet waste.

J. Howard Pew Memorial Park May 2, 2026 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 
Syncrude Athletic Park May 3, 2026 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 
Syncrude Athletic Park May 9, 2026 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
J. Howard Pew Memorial Park May 10, 2026 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

If you cannot attend an event, double-bagged pet waste can also be placed in your black curbside bin, provided it does not exceed 15 per cent of the total bin space. It can also be dropped off at the landfill for a charge of $15 (loads over 200 kg are charged by weight).

Household pet waste cannot be disposed of in blue bins as it contaminates recyclable materials, and for the same reason, should not be disposed of in park bins located on trails, in parks or at Transit stops. 

Find more ways to dispose of your pet waste.

Pumpkin Drop Off

The Pumpkin Drop Off Program is now closed. Check back in the fall 2026. 

The Pumpkin Drop Off Program makes it easy to dispose of pumpkins after Halloween by providing convenient drop-off locations around town.

Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste Roundup

The Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste Roundup Program will be held September 12, 2026 at Centerfire Place from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

This event makes it easy to safely drop off household hazardous waste and electronic waste, items that shouldn’t go in the garbage or down the drain because they can leak harmful chemicals into the environment or create safety risks (like fires from batteries).

These materials can also be taken to the landfill year-round for proper disposal. A list of accepted items is available in the drop-down menu below.

  • Engine oil
  • Gas & diesel fuels
  • Spray paint
  • Paints, oil-based (such as wood stain) and water-based (such as latex paints)
  • Household chemicals:
    • Cleaning supplies
    • Weed killers
    • Bear spray
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Helium cylinders (household-sized; red, pink, blue and purple)
  • Spray foam cylinders
  • Cooking oil
  • Antifreeze (coolant)
  • Propane tanks (1lb to 20lb)
  • Fluorescent bulbs, including compact fluorescents, black lights, ultraviolet, neon and H.I.D bulbs (bulbs labeled “ contains Mercury” or “Hg” within a circle)
  • Electronics (most small household electronics)
    • TVs and computers
    • Vacuums
    • Tools
    • Lamps
    • Toys (battery and plug-ins)
    • Solar panels
  • Batteries
    • Small watch batteries (“CR 2016” type)
    • Household batteries (from “AAA” type batteries to “D” type batteries)
    • Car batteries and large truck batteries

This program is sponsored by the Alberta Recycling Management Authority. Find out more about Alberta Recycling at albertarecycling.ca.

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.

Contact Us

PULSE
Submit a request

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

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