All items that are accepted in the blue cart can be recycled at the three Recycling Stations. These include:

• Plastic bottles and containers
• Toothpaste and deodorant tubes
• Plastic bags and film packaging
• Plastic food containers
• Snack wrappers and chip bags
• Stand-up plastic pouches
• Paper and cardboard
• Hot and cold beverage cups and lids
• Spiral cans (e.g. potato chip cans)
• Soups and broth cartons
• Paper laminates
• Metal food cans
• Glass food and cosmetic containers
• Foam packaging (e.g. Styrofoam)
• Aluminum trays and foil
• Aerosol cans (e.g. deodorant, air freshener, hairspray, whipped cream, cooking oil)

• Diapers
• Toys
• Books
• Organics
• Ceramics
• Clothing
• Pots and pans
• Garden hoses
• Paper towel
• Batteries
• Propane tanks
• Hazardous aerosols (e.g. cleaners, paint)
• Electronic waste (e.g. appliances, hair dryer, television)

Household hazardous waste, electronic waste, batteries, paint and oil can be recycled at the Waste & Recycling Centre (Landfill).

Household recycling such as paper, cardboard, plastic, metal and glass is collected and processed at local facilities, then sold on the open market as a commodity, where it gets recycled into new materials.

• Branches (max. 6 feet in length, 8 inches in diameter)
• Leaves
• Clean pumpkins (not painted)
• Grass
• Garden trimmings (including weeds)
• Fallen fruit (removed from tree branches)
• Elm Tree prunings – disease free* (diseased branches must be taken to the Waste and Recycling Centre)
• Mattresses and box springs (as of April 1, 2026)
  • Mattresses and box springs visible signs of bed bugs are not accepted. Contaminated items must be wrapped in plastic and taken to the Waste and Recycling Centre.

*The City of Lethbridge, along with the Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease (STOPDED), encourages residents to pay close attention to the Provincial elm pruning ban which is in place between April 1 and September 30.

• Branches greater than 8 inches in diameter
• Diseased Elm tree prunings*
• Loose loads of leaves and grass
• Loads containing garbage
• Commercial vehicles
• Roots balls and stumps
• Lumber and fence posts
• Branches longer than 6 feet
• Sod and dirt
• Oversized bags larger than 30 gallons
• Materials from eaves trough cleaning
• Mixed loads

*The City of Lethbridge, along with the Society to Prevent Dutch Elm Disease (STOPDED), encourages residents to pay close attention to the Provincial elm pruning ban which is in place between April 1 and Sept. 30.

For more information on how to dispose of items not listed here, check out the Waste Wizard.

Please bring bagged yard waste in paper bags. Plastic bags are not compostable and are not accepted for yard waste collection; material must be removed from all plastic. Un-bagging is time consuming and creates unnecessary plastic waste. As the sites are self-serve, unloading or un-bagging help is not provided.

Reminder:  Paper yard waste bags are designed to be 'rolled' or folded closed at the top. The site cannot accept any oversized bags larger than 30 gallons due to safety concerns. Please avoid using any tape or staples to close paper bags, as these materials are not compostable and will not break down.

Retailers that stock paper bags:

• Canadian Tire North - (403) 320-6191
  • 1240 2 Avenue A North
• Canadian Tire South - (403) 394-9633
  • 2720 Fairway Road South
• Home Depot - (403) 331-3575
  • 3708 Mayor Magrath Drive South
• Home Hardware - (403) 320-5800
  • 30-550 University Drive West
• London Drugs - (403) 320-8899   
  • 1240 2 Avenue A North
• Lowes - (403) 388-4000
  • 3849 Mayor Magrath Drive South
• Rona - (403) 381-9000
  • 2260 32 Street South
• Safeway - (403) 320-8433
  • 2750 Fairway Plaza Road South
• Save on Foods - (403) 380-6000
  • 1112 2A Avenue North
• Sobeys - (403) 320-5154
  • 327 Bluefox Boulevard North
• Walmart - (403) 380-6722
  • 3195 26 Avenue North

Grass, leaves, branches and other yard waste is brought to the Waste & Recycling Centre to be mulched and composted and used in city parks and planting beds. Composting helps to extend the life of the landfill. Composting also reduced the production of greenhouse gases in the landfill and allows the nutrients to return to the soil and be used for new plant growth.

Mattresses and box springs do not belong in the landfill. They are bulky, extremely difficult to compact and create operational challenges for staff. Yard waste sites provide a safe, convenient and sustainable way for residents to dispose of them.

Collected mattresses and box springs will be shipped to a local recycling processor, where materials such as metal, wood, foam and fabric are recovered and put to new use instead of being landfilled.