Recycling & Yard Waste
Every year, thousands of tonnes of recyclables are diverted from landfills thanks to your commitment to recycling. Your efforts make a meaningful impact on sustainability. For additional tips and Recycle Center Hours, please see the below.
New curbside recycling collection is coming to High River in October 2026!
Starting October 1, 2026, High River will be receiving new curbside recycling services. This new service will be managed by Circular Materials, a national not-for-profit that is leading Alberta's transition to Extended Producer Responsibility (ERP).
ERP shifts the financial and operational responsibility of recycling programs to producers – those that produce and supply packaging and paper materials to residents. This includes the familiar brands and retailers Albertans interact with daily. This new approach to recycling means municipalities and taxpayers will no longer pay for recycling services, as this cost will now be paid by producers.
Soon you will be able to recycle more materials like glass containers, foam packaging, flexible and rigid plastic, cardboard and paper and metal containers right at your curb. In addition, the High River Recycling Depot will remain open, giving residents the flexibility to continue using depot services for their recycling needs.
The transition will introduce a more convenient, consistent, and effective recycling program across the province – a change that will not only benefit people, but also the province.
Stay tuned for more details!
Recycling Centre
At the High River Recycling Centre, you will find signs with examples to help properly sort your recyclables. Here are some other tips to make sure your visit to drop off recycling is safe, easy and quick!
- Please pre-sort recycling to minimize time at the High River Recycling Centre.
- There may be line-ups following the holidays – pre-sorting will help everyone to drop off more quickly and safely.
- The Centre is not open on Statutory Holidays.
- Items cannot be left after hours.
May 3-4,2026 Closure: The recycling centre is currently full and will be closed from the afternoon of May 3 until noon on May 4. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
2026 Statutory Holiday Recycling Centre Closures
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.
Important Information about
- 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
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
Prohibited Items for Recycling
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
Recycling Depot - Where it All Goes:
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
Yard Waste
Please note that the High River Recycling Centre is not open on Statutory Holidays. Yard waste cannot be left after hours.
Accepted Materials
- Grass
- Leaves
- Branches and twigs
- Christmas trees
- Pumpkins
Materials Not Accepted
- Garbage
- Furniture
- Construction waste
- Commercial yard waste or organic material
We're here to help, contact us!
Recycling Centre: 640 7 Street N.W.High River, Alberta, T1V 1S6
Sunday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Thursday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Saturday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Closed on statutory holidays
publicworks@highriver.ca
(403) 652-2110
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