Good news for anyone with a bag of chip wrappers under the sink. Banff residents and businesses can now recycle a longer list of packaging, thanks to Alberta's expanded extended producer responsibility (EPR) rules.
The newly accepted items:
- Plastic bags and wrappers: bread bags, chip bags, chocolate bar wrappers, food pouches, coffee bags and mesh produce bags
- Foam packaging (Styrofoam): takeout containers, meat trays, egg cartons and foam blocks
- Laminated paper: coffee cups, takeout containers, ice cream boxes and gift bags
- Food and personal-care aerosol containers: hair spray, food spray and sunscreen
- Tubes: toothpaste, lotion and deodorant
Residents keep using their nearest neighbourhood Zero Waste Station. The blue bins there have compartments for paper and cardboard, and for plastic and metal. Businesses can add the new items to their existing recycling collection.
The Town asks that everything be empty, clean and loose:
- Empty: no liquids or food residue left inside
- Clean: rinse or wipe containers out
- Loose: put items in the bins unbagged
For tubes, use up all the product before recycling.
Mayor Corrie DiManno says the longer list helps Banff "move closer toward our goal" of 70 per cent waste diversion from landfill by 2028.
The change is part of the second phase of Alberta's EPR rules, which started October 1, 2026. Alberta residents can now recycle the same set of materials wherever they live.
For the full list and where it all goes, visit banff.ca/Recycling.