Frequently Asked Questions

Plastic, glass, and metal

Containers should be empty, but some residue is fine. Items containing excessive food, liquid, or product are not accepted in your blue bin as they can contaminate other items.

A quick rinse is always appreciated – this helps reduce odours and mould and creates a healthier workplace for recycling staff. An easy way to do this is to put containers in your dishwasher before you run it if you have extra room.

Watch our video to learn how clean the containers need to be.

Paper and cardboard

Paper or carboard soiled with food or liquid is not accepted for recycling, but minor stains are fine. If only a portion is soiled, remove it and recycle the clean part.

The following types of plastic packaging are not accepted in your blue bin: 

Black plastic 

Most plastic recycling is sorted by automated optical sorting technology, which can’t identify black plastic.  

Foam (e.g., Styrofoam) 

Foam is very difficult to process and recycle. As a result, there is a limited end-market for it. Recycling programs can’t collect materials if there isn’t a place to send them to be recycled. Read more about the challenges of recycling foam. 

Plastic film, squeeze-tubes, bags, and other highly flexible plastics.  

Once collected, your recycling gets sorted at a material recovery facility. Plastic film, bags, and other highly flexible plastics easily stretch and get tangled in the sorting equipment. You can recycle plastic bags in dedicated plastic bag recycling bins at some retailers. Visit our plastic bags page for more information.   

Hazardous product containers (e.g., paint, corrosives, pesticides, and more)  

These containers aren’t accepted in your blue bin due to the risk of physical and/or environmental harm—even if empty. Product Care Recycling has drop-off locations across Manitoba for recycling these containers and safely disposing leftover hazardous products. See their list of accepted products here. 

Automotive oil and fluid containers (e.g., motor oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid, and more) 

These containers aren’t accepted in your blue bin due to the risk of physical and/or environmental harm—even if empty. The Manitoba Association for Resource Recovery Corporation has drop-off locations across Manitoba for recycling these containers and leftover fluids. See their list of accepted products here. 

You don’t have to remove lids or labels; just ensure they are empty first.

Some rural communities that don’t use blue bins or carts for collection are permitted to bag their recycling in clear bags. Winnipeg, Brandon, and most communities that use recycling carts do not allow bagged recycling because bags significantly complicate the sorting process and can be safety hazards.

Sorting staff would need to manually remove, empty, and dispose of the bags before reaching the sorting line. This wouldn’t be feasible with the amount of recycling they process, and it would pose safety risks.

The only exception to this rule is that shredded paper must be bagged in a clear bag. This is necessary to contain the pieces during transportation and prevent them from mixing with other materials.

Please contact your local public works department to learn how to properly prepare your recycling for collection.

In Manitoba, plastic bags are not accepted in your blue bin because they are problematic at sorting facilities. Try to reduce and reuse plastic bags as much as possible.

Some grocers and retailers in Manitoba accept single-use plastic bags for recycling. Visit our Plastic Bags page for a list of locations that have plastic bag collection bins and ideas for reusing plastic bags.

Shredded paper is accepted in your blue bin for recycling. Before placing it in your blue bin, shredded paper must be placed in a clear, tied plastic bag. This is the only exception to the “no plastic bags” policy and is necessary to keep the paper contained.

Watch our video to learn how to recycle shredded paper in your blue bin.

When recycling, please ensure that you don’t nest your materials – this means putting materials inside one another, such as putting an aluminum can inside a cereal box. This can result in some items being sorted incorrectly and potentially not getting recycled. Read our post on nesting for more details and alternative ways to save room in your blue bin.

Some products may come with several types of packaging materials and paper components. A common example is a blister pack with a cardboard back and clear plastic shell. Please separate these components before placing them in your blue bin.

Recyclable materials are sorted either manually or through an automated system into various categories. By separating packaging made of different materials at home, you simplify the sorting process and reduce the chances of different materials being baled together.

Note: It’s not necessary to remove the plastic window from envelopes or lids and labels from containers, but please separate larger items.

MMSM does not manage recycling collection or bins. Please contact your community’s public works department for assistance.

For Winnipeg residents. call 311 or email 311@winnipeg.ca.