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Blue Bag Collection

Blue Bag Collection follows a two-week collection schedule.  Properties eligible for curbside collection receive blue bag collection every second week.  A resident can determine which week represents their area's blue bag collection week in the following ways:

 

Blue Bag material is sorted into two streams.  This means residents are required to separate their recyclables and paper products into two separate blue bags before placing curbside for collection.  One blue bag is used for Container and Plastics while the other blue bag is used for Paper Products.  Residents are reminded that only blue transparent bags must be used to dispose of their recyclables.  Please remember blue bags must be clearly visible at the curb on your area's collection day. 

 

What Goes in Containers & Plastics Blue Bag and Paper Product Blue Bag 

 

The following items can be placed in your Containers & Plastics Blue Bag

 

Plastic Containers 

  • Laundry detergent and household cleaner jugs
  • Shampoo, conditioner, soap and body wash bottles
  • Salad dressing & condiment containers
  • Dish soap
  • Mouthwash bottles
  • Plastic food, cookie & sweet trays
  • Salad, pudding, fruit & yogurt containers
  • Peanut butter containers & jars
  • Plastic egg containers
  • Plastic cups
  • Plastic tubes and lids
  • Toothpaste tubes
  • Deodorant containers
  • Handcream tubes
  • Sunscreen tubes 
  • Hand sanitizer bottles
  • Plant pots 
  • Small item packaging

 Plastic Film: (Plastic bags that can be stretched.)

  • Dry cleaning bags
  • Bread bags
  • Newspaper and flyer bags
  • Sandwich, freezer & zip lock bags
  • Shrink wrap

Paper Laminate Packaging

  • Hot and cold drink cups (coffe cups)
  • Spiral cans (frozen juice & cookie dough packaging)
  • Ice cream and frozen yogurt containers
  • Take-out containers

Please rinse and dry these containers.  Remove lids 

Cartons

  • Dairy and dairy substitute cartons
  • Molasses and sugar cartons
  • Laundry and cleaning cartons
  • Soup and sauce cartons
  • Coffee cartons

Rinse out and dry these cartons.  Lids and caps can be left on.

Metal

  • Food cans
  • Metal lids
  • Candle tins
  • Cookie tins
  • Coffee & tea tins

Rinse out and dry these tins.

Aluminum: (Foils and trays)

  • Aluminum foil (Ball up aluminum foil)
  • Pie plates
  • Frozen food trays
  • Aluminum cans (rinse out and remove lids)

Glass Containers

  • Clear and colored glass
  • Food containers, jars & bottles
  • Cosmetic containers
  • Spice bottles
  • Oil & vinegar bottles

For more information on what goes where, visit circularmaterials.ca/NS

 

Preparing Materials for Container & Plastics Blue Bag

  • The contents of your blue bag used for containers and packaging should weigh no more than 12 kg (25 pounds).
  • Containers and packaging must be placed in blue transparent blue bags.

 

Please make sure:

  • There are NO paper products mixed in with your blue bag used for containers and plastics.
  • There are NO Needles, Lancets, Syringes, Auto Injectors & Infusion sets mixed in with your blue bag used for containers and plastics.
  • There is NO food waste mixed in in with your blue bag used for containers and plastics.
  • There is NO household garbage mixed in with your blue bag used for containers and plastics.
  • There is NO residential hazardous waste materials mixed in with your blue bag used for containers and plastics.
  • There is NO batteries placed in your blue bag.

 

The following items can be placed in Paper Product Blue Bag

 

Paper Products

Cardboard Boxes

  • Pizza boxes
  • Direct mail boxes
  • Moving boxes
  • Shoe boxes
  • Cracker and cookie boxes

Please flatten, bundle and tie. Bundles must be no greater than 2 feet x 3 feet x 8 inches in size. Boxes must be emptied.

Boxboard

  • Cereal boxes
  • Tissue boxes
  • Cookie boxes
  • Egg cartons
  • Rolls from paper towel and toliet paper rolls

Boxboard items should be flattened and emptied before placing inside paper products blue bag.

Paper

  • Any colored paper
  • Flour Bags
  • Prescription Bags
  • Paper produce bags
  • Notebook pads
  • Loose paper
  • File folders
  • Other printed materials
  • Newsprint
  • Flyers
  • Brochures
  • Magazines
  • Greeting cards (remove batteries from electric cards before placing in blue bag)
  • Envelopes
  • Gift boxes
  • Gift wrap/wrapping paper (including tissue paper & metallic gift wrap)

Paper Laminate Packaging

  • Paper (coated) plates
  • Flour bags
  • Gift bags (remove handles)
  • muffin & sandwich bags
  • Pet food bags
  • Rice, pasta and soup mix bags
  • Food wrappers

Please remember: Soft cover and hard cover books no longer get placed in the Paper Product Blue Bag.  If you can not giveaway or donate books, please place in the clear garbage bag.

 

Preparing materials for Paper Products Blue Bag

  • The contents of your blue bag used for Paper Products should weigh no more than 12 kg (25 pounds).
  • Milk and juice cartons must be disposed of in the blue bag used for containers and plastics along with your other containers and plastics.

Please make sure:

  • There are NO containers and plastics mixed in with your blue bag used for paper products.
  • There are NO Needles, Lancets, Syringes, Auto Injectors & Infusion sets mixed in with your blue bag used for paper products.
  • There is NO Glass items mixed in with your blue bag used for paper products.
  • There is NO food waste mixed in in with your blue bag used for paper products.
  • There is NO household garbage mixed in with your blue bag used for paper products.
  • There is NO residential hazardous waste materials mixed in with your blue bag used for paper products.
  • There is NO batteries placed in your blue bag used for paper products.

 

Important Blue Bag Collection Reminders

 

  • Blue Bags must not be stored inside your green cart during curbside collection.  A green cart that contains blue bags will be tagged and left unemptied by the collector. 
  • Do not tie your blue bags together for collection.
  • Do not place residential hazardous waste material in your blue bags.
  • Do not place batteries inside your blue bags.
  • At the end of the collection day, if your blue bags have not been removed by the collector, please remove from the curb.  It is your responsibility to remove uncollected materials after 9pm on your area's collection day.

 

Material that can be dropped off for Recycling at a Participating Local Drop-Off Site

The following materials can now be dropped off at a local participating drop-off site for recycling.  Please do not place these materials out for curbside collection in blue bags.

Aerosol Containers

  • Food Sprays
  • Hair Spray
  • Air freshners
  • Shaving Cream
  • Sun Screen
  • Spray Tans
  • Deodorant
  • Spray perfumes

Leave lids and caps on and please make sure containers are empty.

 

Flexible Plastics

  • Coffee & deli pouches
  • Chip bags
  • Bubble wrap
  • Vacuum sealed packaging
  • Candy & snack food wrappers
  • cereal liner bags
  • cracker & cookie liner bags

Please make sure flexible plastic packaging has been emptied.

 

Foam Packaging

  • Styrofoam meat trays
  • Styroofoam take out containers & trays
  • Styrofoam sweet trays
  • Styrofoam cups, bowls and plates
  • Styrofoam packaging

Please remove film wrap and absorbent pads from meat trays.  

 

For a list of participating drop-off sites in CBRM, visit:  https://www.circularmaterials.ca/NSdepots/

 

Preparing your materials for Drop-Off at a participating Drop-Off Location

  • Separate materials from your deposit refund containers (redeemable beverage containers.)
  • Sort materials by material type.  If materials are not properly sorted, participating drop-off locations may decline the material.
  • Ensure materials are brought to a participating drop-off location in a clear blue or transparent bag.
  • Ensure materials are clean & dry.
  • Ensure aersol containers are empty.