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.
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
Habit 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:
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
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 you 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.
