There may be additional unanticipated dates when the recycling centre will need to close during the year. If that happens, we will post updated information on this page and update the digital signage at the depot.

• Ensure all recyclables are clean.
• Dirty cardboard or plastics contaminate our loads and cost the Town money at the sorting facility.
• Contamination may compromise an entire load of recycling - please do your part to make sure everything contributed is useable at the sorting facility.
• Residents who do not want to clean their recyclables should place them in their residential garbage to minimize the risk of contaminating recycling loads.

Town staff are on-site for help if you have questions. Please call us at 403-652-2110 if you have any questions about the High River Recycling Center!

Accepted Recycling Items

• Clear & Coloured Glass
• Mixed paper: Magazines, phone books, and white bonded paper and box board (thin, lightweight paperboard packaging i.e.: cereal/snack boxes and Kleenex boxes)
• Newsprint: Includes all inserts and flyers in your newspaper
• Tin cans: Must be cleaned and labels removed
• Cardboard: Corrugated cardboard with ridges
• Mixed rigid plastics: All plastics #1-#7. Only plastics with a printed number on them are able to be recycled
• Soft plastics: Plastic bags or soft plastic packaging
• Styrofoam: White polystyrene packaging that is clean, free of tape, staples and contaminants.
  • Food packages, soiled or dirty packaging, hard materials or coloured polystyrene will not be accepted
• Cell phones: Drop off any old cell phones
• Batteries: Ni-MH, Ni-Cd, SSLA/Pb, Li-Ion, Ni-Zn batteries under 5 kg for recycling
  • For a full list of acceptable batteries, please CLICK HERE.
• Electronics: Eligible products include televisions, computers (including CPU, keyboard, mouse, cables, and speakers), monitors, printers, laptops and tablets)
  • For more on recycling electronics, visit ARMA

Not Accepted for Recycling

• Garbage
• Oil containers, lawn care containers (pesticides)
• Tires
• Refrigerators
• Vehicle batteries or any batteries over 5kg
• Wood
• Dirty plastic wrapping, such as Saran Wrap or meat packaging
• Corrugated cardboard, such as pizza boxes that are greasy or have food particles
• Ceramics, mirrors, and safety glass are not accepted
• Food packages, soiled or dirty packaging, hard materials or coloured polystyrene will not be accepted

All recycling is first transported to Cascades Recovery+ in Calgary, where it is further sorted before being sent to the following facilities:

• Hard Plastics: Processed by Merlin Plastics in Alberta, the only company capable of recycling plastic back into food-grade material.
• Soft Plastics: Used for energy recovery by Merlin Plastics.
• Mixed Paper & Newspaper: Repurposed in Alberta, primarily by IKO Global, for products like tar paper, shingles, and drywall paper.
• Glass: Recycled into insulation by Johns Manville and also used in reflective road paint.
• Cardboard: Highly valuable with a high rebate, it is recycled into pressed paper for products such as cereal boxes, paper towels, and other paper goods