FAQ

Recycling is one of the best ways for you to have a positive impact on the world in which we live. Our planet is already starting to feel the effects of global warming and we need to do whatever we can to lessen the impact. We must reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfills and address the continuing threat to our environment as well as the critical shortage of landfill space. Recycling turns products that would otherwise become waste into new products or resources. Recycling ensures useful materials aren’t wasted and reduces the related consumption of raw materials and energy in manufacturing. When you recycle, you’re helping to protect natural resources, improving the quality of groundwater and reducing the effects of global warming. You’re not only doing the right thing for our environment – you’re also doing the right thing for the economy. In addition to creating jobs, recycling may also provide revenue based on volume and market conditions.

Did you know that more than half of your household waste can be recycled? Most communities and municipalities around the province offer the opportunity to recycle items in your home that contribute to half of your household waste. For example, milk cartons, glass food and beverage containers, plastic bottles, juice boxes, margarine containers, aluminum cans, cardboard, newspapers, cereal boxes, and steel food containers can all go in your blue bin! For more information on what other materials (tires, oils, electronics, batteries) you can recycle and collection sites, please visit the Recycle Manitoba website.

Gable top containers (i.e., milk cartons) and aseptic containers (i.e., juice boxes) are completely recyclable because they are mostly made of paper.

To find out when recyclables will be collected in your community, contact the local waste department in your municipality. Many cities, including Brandon, Steinbach, Portage la Prairie, and Winnipeg have online collection calendars.

Once the recyclables are picked up from your home, they are transported to your local MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) to be processed. The materials are then baled and placed in the shipping area to await transportation to manufacturing plants. Due to market conditions and supply and demand, materials are shipped around North America and even throughout the world.

Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba (MMSM) is a not-for-profit, industry-funded organization that develops, implements, and operates residential recycling programs for designated packaging and printed paper in the Province of Manitoba.

A group of packaging and printed paper stewards provide up to 80% of the funds for efficient municipal recycling programs across the province. These stewards include brand owners, importers and franchisors – essentially the producers – of consumer goods that are sold in Manitoba.

While MMSM funds up to 80% of recycling program costs through steward contributions, Manitoba communities fund the remaining portion of their program costs with funding from taxes, levies on the waste that is sent to landfills, and in some cases from revenue of material sales (depending on market conditions.)

Yes, each community arranges to collect the materials either through its own collection services or under contract to private sector collectors. Depending on the contract arrangement between the community and the contractor, the community or the contractor may market the materials to end markets for the materials to be recycled into new products. MMSM funding applies to operating costs such as collection and processing.

Who do I contact about a missed pickup or a broken cart in the City of Winnipeg?

Please reach out the city via 311 or by email at 311@winnipeg.ca.

MMSM’s corporate website is Stewardship Manitoba. We always welcome direct contact by phone at (204) 953-2010 or by reaching out to us on our Contact Us page.