New Alberta recycling programs will save taxpayers money, province says

Alberta is releasing new programs that will save taxpayers money and keep waste out of landfills.

Programs, services and communities in the province will shift to Alberta’s new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs starting on Tuesday, something that has been in the works since 2022.

More than 90 per cent of Alberta’s population will operate under it, representing most municipalities, and all of Alberta’s major cities. British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are already a part of it.

Calgary, Red Deer and Lethbridge have all recently publicly indicated that recycling fees could be lowered thanks to the new system.

“Calgarians will see the benefits immediately in their blue cart fees, but all over Alberta people will get clearer recycling rules and less waste in their landfills,” said Calgary’s Ward 14 councilor Peter Demong. “This is only the beginning of the good it will do.”

Other municipalities will join in July, needing more time to transition, while a small number of communities – some getting recycling service for the first time in their history – will join in 2026.

All First Nations and Métis communities have also been contacted and most have registered to participate in the October 2026 intake date.

The new EPR systems will help to reduce the amount of waste going into Alberta landfills, improve recycling programs and reduce costs for taxpayers in many cases, according to the province.

“And we’re doing it without creating more work or costs for Albertans or making them change their recycling habits,” Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz said in a news release.

The province is shifting the financial burden of collecting and sorting recycling away from municipalities and residents, making the companies that produce those packages and products responsible instead.

By making producers responsible, EPR encourages companies to find new ways to reduce waste and design products that are more recyclable and reusable.

EPR has two programs focusing on thousands of types of waste materials. Single-use products, packaging and printed paper are part of one, while hazardous and special products like batteries, pesticides or flammable materials are the other.

“By working with industry, municipalities and provincial partners, we’ve created a made-in-Alberta EPR solution that helps advance our priority of responsible waste management,” said chief executive officer of the Alberta Recycling Management Authority, Ed Gugenheimer.

He adds that they are working with the Government of Alberta to grow the province’s circular economy through EPR.

The province says Albertans send 1,034 kilograms per person of waste to landfills every year, more than any other Canadian jurisdiction. The national average is 710 kilograms per year.

Alberta and the Alberta Recycling Management Authority are overseeing the EPR systems, working with producers and municipalities to help them implement the programs.