What happens to Edmonton's recycling and compost after collection?
· Said in 12 comments · 10 claims
Going ahead
The City's facility reports and the provincial packaging program's end-market disclosures show where Edmonton's recycling and compost actually go, including whether any is shipped overseas or landfilled and what happens to a contaminated bag; the claims about what residents assume and the count of dumps outside the city are side details that will be dropped.
- How far the work has got
- Registered
- Whether it is worth checking
- Going ahead
- What a reader can see
- Not published yet
Accepted-material rules, facility-flow records and downstream contracts trace the listed recycling and compost outcomes.
People arguing in both directions raised this question, and every claim they made about it is checked, whichever way it points.
Where it came from
Taken from Edmonton Rant and Rave post on garbage service, 2026-09-10, read end to end. Every factual claim in it was extracted and merged, so this question is listed whatever became of it.
Facebook post · captured · 117 comments
The names below are pseudonyms, one to a commenter within this source.
The claims under it
Separate garbage and compost collection loads have been dumped onto the same pile.
Said in 3 comments
they forced them to make two trips, one for the garbage, a second one for the compost, and they both went to the exact same pile.
Sunny Pelican T.
Some companies, they go out and pick up the brown bins. They take it to the dump and dump it. Then they go back and get the compost bins, and go dump it on the same pile.
Sunny Pelican T.
come back to town and start my 500 houses all over again but with the green bins this time, where did I go you say? Right back to the dump and dumped it on top of the pile that I had just dropped there 3 hours previously.
Copper Squirrel D.
Edmonton ships recyclable materials to Asia for processing.
Said in 1 comment
Also they ship our recyclables to Asia…. For processing….
Frosty Grebe R.
If one item in an Edmonton recycling bag is dirty or does not belong, the entire bag is diverted to garbage.
Said in 1 comment
When I did the field trip with my kids they told us that if one thing in a recycle bag is dirty or does not belong in there, the whole bag moves to garbage.
Frosty Grebe R.
Starting October 1, Edmonton is adding takeout containers, chip bags, snack wrappers, cereal bags and foam packaging to its recycling list.
Said in 1 comment
And Oct 1 they're adding to-go containers, chip bags, snack wrapper, cereal bags and foam packaging to the recycling list
Boreal Jackrabbit L.
Most material placed in Edmonton recycling ends up at the dump regardless of how residents sort it.
Said in 1 comment
the funny thing about recycling, most of it goes to the dump regardless of what you do
Boreal Sparrow J.
Edmonton's recyclable material is processed by waste management.
Said in 1 comment
EWM has different downstream processes even though it seems like it goes in the same truck.
Boreal Jackrabbit L.
Edmonton has no designated recycling facility.
Said in 1 comment
There is no designated recycling facility
Boreal Jackrabbit L.
EWM uses different downstream processes for materials that appear to arrive together.
Said in 1 comment
EWM has different downstream processes even though it seems like it goes in the same truck.
Boreal Jackrabbit L.
Some Edmonton residents assume items are recyclable based on container markings even when the local program does not accept them.
Said in 1 comment
people look at the bottom of the container and assume things are recyclable here, when they aren’t
Frosty Grebe R.
There are two dumps outside Edmonton.
Said in 1 comment
the 2 dumps out of town
Quiet Muskrat D.