If you’re reading this, you’re probably a recycler. And you probably want to recycle and reduce waste as much as you can.

Below you’ll find an abundance of options to reuse or recycle things that can’t go in your blue bin. A few things in this list don’t have recycling or reuse options, but we included them because they can be particularly problematic if they end up in the blue bin.

If you’re ever curious if something can go in your blue bin, be reused, or recycled elsewhere, look it up in our Recyclepedia search tool.

A

Aerosol Cans

See Household Hazardous Waste (HHW).

Aluminum Foil & Trays

Wash and reuse trays when possible.

Although aluminum cans are accepted in your blue bin, aluminum foil and trays are not because they’re blended with other materials and require a different process to recycle. Because of this, there is a limited end market for it.

Appliances

Donate working appliances to a thrift store or charity.

Find a repair guide online to fix your appliances. If you can’t repair them, some appliance stores accept broken appliances to repair or use the parts to repair other appliances. Contact your local store.

If you have a working fridge or freezer that’s over 20 years old, Efficiency Manitoba offers a $30 rebate for each one you replace. They’ll also pick them up and recycle them for free. See full details.

To recycle non-working appliances made primarily of metal: see Scrap Metal.

Automotive Oils, Antifreeze, & Containers

Used motor oil, oil filters, transmission fluid, gear oil, and other fluids used for lubricating machinery and equipment (as well as their empty containers) should be properly disposed of at a licensed EcoCentre.

Many garages/automotive shops and community depots serve as EcoCentres for Manitoba Association for Resource Recovery Corp (MARRC). Find one near you. Do NOT put them in your blue bin or garbage; they’re harmful to the environment.

EcoCentres collect oils, anti-freeze, containers, filters, and diesel exhaust fluid containers to be recycled or converted into energy.

B

Batteries (Lead-Acid/Automotive)

Take lead-acid batteries (e.g., car batteries) to a Canadian Battery Association drop-off location. Many garages/automotive shops and community depots serve as drop-off locations. Find one near you.

Do NOT put them in your blue bin or garbage; they can be harmful to the environment if disposed of improperly.

Batteries (Single-Use and Rechargeable)

Recycle batteries at a Recycle Your Batteries Canada! drop-off site near you.

They accept single-use and rechargeable dry-cell household batteries weighing up to 5 kg (11 lbs.). Common examples include:

• A, AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, button cell.
• Rechargeable batteries for electronics and power tools.
• E-mobility batteries used on devices such as e-bikes and e-scooters.
• See all accepted battery types.

Do NOT put them in your blue bin or garbage; they’re the leading cause of garbage and recycling truck fires and can be harmful to the environment if disposed of improperly.

• Collect batteries in non-metal containers and store them safely.
• Protect battery terminals with tape or in plastic bags before storing or recycling.

Bicycles

Donate working bikes to a thrift store or check with local bike shops, clubs, or non-profits to see if they accept bike donations. Some will refurbish damaged bikes or use the parts for repairs.

In Winnipeg, you can take bikes and parts to any 4R Winnipeg Depot to be reused or refurbished through their program with W.R.E.N.C.H., which provides residents with affordable or free bikes.

Blankets

Donate to a thrift store or animal shelter.

Black Plastics

Black plastics, regardless of their plastic number, are not accepted in your blue bin. The automated machinery used to identify and sort plastics can’t identify black plastics, and there is a limited end market for them.

Blister Packs with Foil

Blister packs with foil or metallic material (e.g., medication and chewing gum blister packs) are not accepted in your blue bin. Please put them in the garbage.

Many optometrist clinics in Manitoba accept contact lens blister packs for recycling. Find one near you.

Blister packs with a cardboard back or fully plastic blister packs (e.g., clamshell packs) are accepted in your blue bin. Please separate cardboard from plastic before recycling.

Books*

Books (hard and soft cover) in their entirety are not accepted in the blue bin. Donate books to a thrift store if they’re intact.

*Book pages are accepted in your recycling. Please remove the pages from the binding before putting them in your blue bin. Put the binding in the garbage.

Bread Bag Tags/Tabs

Bread bag tags are not accepted in your blue bin because they’re too small to be sorted and end up getting lost during the sorting process. This post has great ideas for reusing them, such as labelling and organizing cords.

Broken glass

Broken glass isn’t accepted in your blue bin because the small shards contaminate other materials and aren’t able to be sorted. Put broken glass in the garbage.

“What about glass that breaks during recycling collection?” you may be wondering. Other materials such as cardboard, paper, and plastic containers act as padding, so very little glass breaks and isn’t problematic.

Bubble Wrap & Bubble Mailers

Bubble wrap and mailers/envelopes/parcels lined with plastic bubbles are not accepted in your blue bin.

You can donate these and other packing/shipping materials to most thrift stores. Local craft, art, and antique sellers may be open to taking them too. Alternatively, you can use them to safely store fragile items, such as glassware and holiday decorations.

Building/Construction Materials

Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores (in Winnipeg and Brandon) accept a variety of construction and renovation materials in new and gently-used condition.

Many communities accept certain building materials for community use or recycling at local waste sites, such as Winnipeg’s 4R Depots. Contact your community to learn what options are available.

C

Cards (Plastic)

Credit cards, debit cards, and gift cards aren’t accepted in your blue bin. Please cut up your expired credit cards before disposing of them in the garbage.

Cassette Tapes & CDs

Donate tapes, CDs, and cases to a thrift store.

Caulking Tubes

Please put plastic caulking tubes in the garbage.

Ceramics

Donate ceramics to a thrift store. Some communities accept ceramics for recycling at community waste sites.

Clothes

See Textiles

Compressed Gas Containers

See Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)

Coffee Filters

You can compost paper coffee filters and most other organic materials in your yard or your community’s compost program. Check your community’s website to find out if they have a compost program and what’s accepted.

Coffee Pods

Check if your brand of choice has a drop-off or send-back recycling program for their pods.

Cutlery

Metal, plastic, and wood cutlery are not accepted in your blue bin. Reuse them as much as possible. Donate metal cutlery to a thrift store and compost wood cutlery that can no longer be used.

D

Diapers

⚠️ Please put diapers in the garbage.

Reusable cloth diapers have made a comeback in recent years. They’re not realistic for everyone though. They take time to clean and can be expensive to wash if you use a laundromat, but they’re a great way to reduce waste and save money in the long run for some.

DVDs & Cases

Donate to a thrift store. Alternatively, some retirement/personal care homes accept DVDs to use for movie nights or to lend to residents.

E

Electronics

Many retailers and depots across Manitoba collect electronics for recycling on behalf of the Recycle My Electronics program. Find a location near you.

Donate working electronics to a thrift store. Find a repair guide online.

F

Filters (Air or Water)

Terracycle has a partner program with Brita Pitchers, so you can recycle the pitchers, filters, and dispensers. Check if the brand you use has a recycling program.

Fluorescent Light Bulbs & Tubes

See Household Hazardous Waste (HHW).

Food Scraps

Compost food scraps and most other organic materials in your yard or your community’s compost program. Check your community’s guidelines to find out what’s accepted.

Food Storage Containers (e.g., Tupperware)

Reusable food storage containers are not accepted in your blue bin. Donate them to a thrift store. You can recycle metal containers at some depots or scrap dealers.

Note: plastic single-use food containers (e.g., for takeout food) are accepted in your blue bin, except for black plastic and foam.

Furniture

Try to repair damaged furniture before discarding it. Donate furniture to a thrift store or non-profit, even if it’s damaged (just ensure the amount of damage is acceptable to the receiver). If it’s too damaged to donate, post it online for free. Many hobbyists will take even heavily damaged furniture and repair/restore it.

G

Gift Bags (Plastic)

Reuse or donate to a thrift store.

Glass Products/Glassware

Reuse or donate to a thrift store.

Glass packaging, such as bottles and jars, is accepted in your blue bin.

H

Hangers

Donate to a thrift store. Metal hangers can be returned to a drycleaning company.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), Fluorescent Lights, & Paint (including containers)

Take these products, including empty containers, to a participating retailer or depot near you for safe disposal. Liquids must be in their original container. See a full list of qualifying products:

• HHW
• Fluorescent Lights
• Paint

These products should never be dumped in sewers, drains or disposed of in landfills. Help protect our environment by properly disposing of hazardous materials and containers.

I

Inhalers/Puffers

See Medications

Ink/Toner Cartridges

Some brands have recycling programs for their cartridges. HP’s program has drop-off points at Staples and London Drugs retail locations, or you can request free shipping labels to mail back your cartridges. Check your brand of choice’s website to see if they have recycling options.

J

Jewelry

Reuse or donate to a thrift store.

Juice Pouches

Put juice pouches in the garbage.

Juice boxes are accepted in your blue bin.

K

Keys & Keychains

Reuse old keys for art/crafts and donate key chains to a thrift store.

Knives

Reuse or donate to a thrift store. Cover blades when disposing knives in the garbage.

L

Laminated Paper

Put laminated paper in the garbage.

License Plates

Return Manitoba license plates to Autopac. Donate others to a thrift store or take them to a scrap metal depot.

Light bulbs

Throw non-fluorescent light bulbs in the garbage. See Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) for fluorescent light disposal.

M

Mattresses, Toppers, & Box Springs

Donate these if they’re in decent condition. In Winnipeg, you can recycle mattresses and box springs at the Brady 4R Winnipeg Depot or Mother Earth Recycling for a fee.

Medical Sharps

Safely dispose of medical sharps at a participating pharmacy near you. Get instructions here.

Sharps include:

• Needles and syringes
• Infusion sets
• Lancets
• Pen tips
• Pre-filled syringes, cartridges
• Auto-injectors

Improper disposal of medical sharps can cause serious harm to others.

Medications & Health Supplements

Safely dispose of health supplements and medications (over-the-counter and prescription meds) at a participating pharmacy near you. Get instructions here.

Improper disposal of medications and supplements can harm people, animals, and local ecosystems. Never pour medications down the drain.

Recycle empty pill containers in your blue bin (no black plastics).

Mirrors

See Glass Products

Motor Oil, Oil Filters, & Containers

See Automotive Oils, Antifreeze, & Containers.

N

Nails, Bolts, and Screws

Reuse or donate to a thrift store.

Needles, Syringes, Lancets, & Auto-Injectors

See Medical Sharps.

P

Paint & Paint Cans

See Household Hazardous Waste (HHW).

Paper Towels & Tissue Paper

Compost most organic materials in your yard or your community’s compost program. Check your community’s guidelines to find out what’s accepted.

Do not compost paper towels or tissues if they’re contaminated with cleaning products, paint, oil, or other inorganic compounds.

Pencils & Pencil Crayons

Reuse or donate to a thrift store.

Pens, Markers, and Mechanical Pencils (Plastic)

Reuse or donate to a thrift store. Recycle empty and broken plastic writing utensils at a Staples retail location.

Pesticides & Containers

See Household Hazardous Waste (HHW).

Plastic Bags

Reuse plastic bags as much as possible. Some grocery stores and retailers have bins to recycle plastic bags. Find one near you.

Plastic Plant Pots

Reuse or donate to a thrift store. Many nurseries/greenhouses accept plant pot donations as well.

Plastic Wrap

Use reusable beeswax wraps or cloths to cover/wrap food instead.

Pots, Pans and Baking Trays

Reuse or donate to a thrift store.

Power Cords

See Electronics

Power Tools

Check if you can find a repair guide online. Reuse or donate to a thrift store.

For battery recycling options: see Batteries.

Propane Tanks & Cylinders

Reuse or return refillable propane tanks to a retailer.

See Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) to recycle single-use gas cylinders/canisters properly.

Q

Q-Tips/Cotton Swabs (plastic)

Put plastic cotton swabs in the garbage. Get a reusable or compostable alternative if possible.

R

Rope

Reuse or donate to a thrift store.

Rubber

Reuse or donate rubber products to a thrift store.

S

Scrap Metal

Take scrap metal to a metal dealer or depot.

Scrap Wood

Reuse or donate to an artist or builder. See Building/Construction Materials for lumber recycling options.

Sponges

Sanitize sponges in hot water to keep them fresh longer. Reuse them for other cleaning purposes when they become too dirty for dishes.

Try a more reusable option, such as a washcloth or brush.

Styrofoam/Foam

Many Styrofoam products and packaging, such as cups and packing peanuts, are becoming less common in Canada. But you’ll still encounter some, particularly with large products like electronics. Here are some ideas to reuse it:

• Use it as a plant pot filler.
• Line a box with it and put it in your car; you can put groceries in it to keep them cool on the drive home.
• Use it for storing fragile items in boxes or tote bins.

If you’re interested in more ideas, this article has 20 ways to reuse Styrofoam.

T

Textiles

Look up basic sewing tutorials online to repair clothing and home textiles. Small tears can be fixed with just a needle and thread. For complicated repairs, go to a seamster.

Reuse or donate unwanted textiles to a thrift store.

Tires

Take used tires to a Tire Stewardship Manitoba drop-off location for free. Many tire shops and automotive dealerships accept used tires for recycling*.

Learn more about how Tire Stewardship Manitoba recycles tires.

*Note: The drop-off location finder linked above sometimes doesn’t load all available locations. Please call your closest tire shop to find out if they take used tires (most do).

Toothbrushes

Reuse toothbrushes as a cleaning tool. They work great for spot-scrubbing shoes, clothes, and hard to reach places around the house.

Toys

Reuse or donate to a thrift store.

Thermostats

Take mercury-containing thermostats to an HRAI thermostat drop-off location near you for safe disposal for free. Find out if your thermostat contains mercury.

Mercury is toxic to people, animals, and the environment. Please dispose of thermostats properly.

V

Vapes/E-Cigarettes

Check if your local vape store accepts used products for recycling. See Batteries for battery recycling options.

VHS Tapes

Reuse or donate to a thrift store. Some retirement/care homes accept VHS tapes to use for movie nights or to lend to residents.

W

Wet/greasy boxboard and cardboard

Compost food scraps and most other organic materials in your yard or your community’s compost program. Check your community’s guidelines to find out what’s accepted.

Note: A bit of grease on a pizza box is okay to recycle in your blue bin, but don’t put cardboard with excessive grease in your blue bin.

Wine Corks

Recycle corks at a Liquor Mart cork collection bin.

Which Shipping/Delivery Packaging to Recycle

How much packaging do you go through during the holiday season? All the holiday shopping and Black Friday deals can leave you with mountains of boxes, bags, parcels, and plastics—especially if you shop online.

It’s important to know which packaging materials you can recycle in your blue bin, so the most wonderful time of year isn’t the most wasteful. It’s also important to know what can’t go in your blue bin, because recycling processors handle more material during the holiday season.

Use the list below to find out which common shipping materials are accepted or not accepted in Manitoba residential recycling programs.

Shipping packaging accepted for residential recycling

Cardboard boxes

Note:

• Staples, tape, and shipping labels don’t need to be removed (although it’s appreciated if you do).
• Do not nest other items inside of boxes; this can lead to materials being improperly sorted.
• Flatten and/or cut large boxes to fit them loosely in your blue bin.

Corrugated cardboard wrap/cushioning

Molded paper inserts

Kraft paper

Paper-padded envelope

Note: These packages are lined with soft padding made of paper and glue. They’re a recyclable alternative to plastic-padded envelopes.

Shipping packaging NOT accepted for residential recycling

Plastic-padded envelope

Note: These packages may have a paper or plastic exterior, but are lined with bubble wrap, which isn’t accepted for recycling.

Soft or rigid foam (e.g., Styrofoam)

Bubble wrap

Plastic air bags/pillows

Note: Some retailers accept plastic bags for recycling.

That covers the bulk of shipping packaging you’ll encounter. If you’re unsure if you can recycle something that isn’t on this list, try looking it up in the Recyclepedia or check out our holiday recycling guide.

The Ultimate Manitoba Holiday Recycling Guide

The Ultimate Manitoba Holiday Recycling Guide

There are a few things you can always expect during the holidays: family dinners, exchanging gifts, and the clean-up that follows. Download our Manitoba holiday recycling guide to see how to best dispose of gift bags, wrapping paper, and other holiday items. We go into more detail on the most common holiday items below.

Don’t see the item you’re looking for? Look it up in the Recyclepedia to see if it belongs in your blue bin or a drop-off location near you.

Can you recycle gift wrap?

Brown craft paper is accepted for recycling in Manitoba. Coloured and/or shiny wrapping paper is not accepted. The intensity of dyes in the paper makes taking the ink of out the paper inefficient and cost-prohibitive to recycle.

Can you recycle gift bags?

Plain paper gift bags are accepted in your blue bin – just remove the handles so they don’t get caught in the recycling machinery. Plastic gift bags and coloured paper gift bags are not accepted. Save your gift bags to reuse next year.

Can you recycle holiday decorations?

Any decorations you no longer use can be donated to a thrift store. Holiday decorations and string lights are not accepted for recycling in your blue bin. Broken string lights can be dropped off at Urbanmine for metal recycling.

Can you recycle Christmas trees?

Most municipalities have a Christmas tree recycling program available for real trees. This gives people an opportunity to responsibly recycle their trees and wreaths after the holiday season is done. Reach out to your local municipality for details. Artificial Christmas trees aren’t recyclable. Donate your old tree to a second-hand store.

What do you do with extra recyclables?

You can drop off excess packaging that won’t fit inside your recycling bin at your local recycling depot or transfer stations for free. Download our guide here.

Your household blue bin is for recycling packaging and printed paper. But there are lots of recyclable items that don’t belong in your blue bin (for reasons outlined below). You can visit drop-off locations, accessible to most Manitobans, to recycle batteries, electronics, tires, and more.

Scroll down to find recycling locations for common household items that don’t belong in your blue bin or garbage. Alternatively, you can search for any of the items below in the Recyclepedia to find out where to recycle them in your community.

Alternatively, you can search for any of the items below in the Recyclepedia to find recycling and safe disposal locations near you.

Where to recycle batteries?

Call2Recycle has over 700 drop-off locations to recycle batteries across Manitoba. Look out for their green and brown cardboard drop boxes (pictured above). They accept single-use and rechargeable batteries that weigh under 11 pounds. You can recycle almost any battery found at home: the little one in your watch, the rechargeable one in your drill, your cell phone battery, and more.

Why can’t batteries go in your blue bin or garbage?

• Batteries are the leading cause of recycling facility fires and can cause garbage and recycling truck fires — they pose fire and explosion risks that can harm workers, damage equipment and delay recycling.
• They contain compounds harmful to the environment.
• They contain metals that are environmentally harmful to mine.

Where to recycle electronics?

Recycle My Electronics (EPRA) accepts most common household and vehicle electronics, with drop-off locations accessible to most Manitobans including several northern communities. Some examples are TVs, portable devices, computer equipment, audio equipment, and more.

Why can’t electronics go in your blue bin or garbage?

• They pose fire and explosion risks that can harm workers and damage equipment.
• They contain compounds harmful to the environment.
• They contain metals that are environmentally harmful to mine.

Where to dispose of medication and medical sharps?

Health Products Stewardship Association (HPSA) runs a take-back program for prescription, over-the-counter (non-prescription) medications, and natural health products. Most pharmacies participate in the program and will dispose of your unused medications safely. Pills, skin creams, cough syrups, supplements and all other medications are accepted.

HPSA also runs a return program for medical sharps, however the have a different search tool for finding drop-off locations. Participating locations will also provide free sharps containers so you can safely store used sharps until you return them. Accepted sharps include:

• Needles and syringes
• Infusion sets
• Lancets
• Pen tips
• Pre-filled syringes and cartridges
• Auto-injectors

Why can’t medications and medical sharps go in your blue bin or garbage (or toilet)?

Medications — even natural health products — can harm people, animals, and ecosystems if not properly disposed of. There are already traces of pharmaceuticals in our soil and water from improper disposal.

Sharps also pose a risk to the environment and can harm and spread infections to family members, friends, animals, and municipal workers.

Where to recycle Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), Paint, and Lightbulbs?

Product Care Association of Canada has dozens of drop-off locations across Manitoba for recycling harmful products and their containers, including paint, light bulbs, and household hazardous waste. There are exceptions, but most products with a hazard symbol (see image above) are accepted at Product Care drop-off locations.

Why can’t HHW go in your blue bin or garbage?

• They pose fire, explosion, poison, toxicity, and corrosive risks that can harm workers and damage equipment (even when empty).
• They contain compounds harmful to the environment and the public.

Where to recycle motor oil, oil filters, and anti-freeze?

If you change or top up your oil, you should know about Manitoba Association of Resource Recovery Corp’s drop-off locations. They accept oil, oil filters, antifreeze, and Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF). They also accept empty containers, which can’t go in your blue bin or garbage.

Why can’t oil and antifreeze go in your blue bin or garbage?

• They can harm workers and damage equipment.
• They contain compounds harmful to the environment and the public.

Where to recycle used tires and tubes?

If you’ve run out of tree to build tire swings, end-of-life tires and tubes are accepted at Tire Stewardship partner locations across Manitoba. They accept vehicle and bike tires. In 2022, they reported recycling 18,666 tonnes of tires.

Why can’t tires and tubes go in your blue bin or garbage?

• They can harm workers and damage equipment.
• They contain compounds harmful to the environment.

Where to recycle Thermostats containing mercury?

It may seem odd that there’s a recycling program for thermostats, given that they’re small and don’t need to be disposed of often. But they contain mercury, which needs to be carefully disposed of when you replace a thermostat. You can find a drop-off location near you on HRAI’s website.

Why can’t thermostats go in your blue bin or garbage?

They contain mercury, which is toxic for humans, animals, and harmful to the environment.

One-stop shop recycling depots

4R Winnipeg Depots

If you live in or around Winnipeg, 4R Winnipeg Depots are your ‘one-stop shop’ for recycling. The depots accept the items listed above as well as blue bin materials, yard waste, scrap metal, and more.

The depots are free for residents to use and are open throughout the year. There are three depots in the city:

• Brady 4R Depot – 1777 Brady Road
• Panet 4R Depot – 429 Panet Road
• Pacific 4R Depot – 1120 Pacific Avenue

Community transfer stations and waste disposal sites.

Most communities accept the various materials listed above at their transfer stations or waste disposal sites. Check your community website to find out what you can recycle at your local transfer station.