Why Recycle?
You may not know it, but every bottle, can, carton and juice box you buy in Manitoba is helping to support the entire recycling process.
The Container Recycling Fee (CRF) is a fee charged to every sealed beverage container sold in the province. This fee funds the recycling of beverage containers no matter where they’re consumed, both in and out of the home. You can help give your empty beverage container a new life by dropping it into a Recycle Everywhere bin so it can be turned into something new.
Recycling beverage containers Is as easy as 1-2-3
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Know What to Recycle
You can recycle plastic and glass bottles, beverage cartons, juice boxes and aluminum cans. -
No food waste
Use our bins for empty beverage containers and other accepted recyclables. But remember—no soiled food containers. -
Make sure it’s empty
Dump out any liquid before you recycle your beverage container.
Results Worth Repeating
Using recycled beverage containers to manufacture new ones conserves resources, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and saves energy required to process new raw materials. Our programs also keep thousands of tonnes of beverage containers out of the garbage and reduce litter, extending the life of Manitoba’s landfills and increasing sustainability. These are results we will continue to build on.
Looking to recycle more than just beverage containers?
Manitoba has a comprehensive recycling system that includes a broad range of materials – not only beverage containers. Consumers in Manitoba can recycle their beverage containers at home in the Blue Box, or out and about through Recycle Everywhere’s public space program. This system makes it very convenient to recycle and is one of a kind to Manitoba.
Every kilogram of material we keep out of the trash helps to extend the life of our landfills and creates more sustainable communities. That’s why Recycle Everywhere is proud to be part of the group of stewardship organizations in Manitoba focused on diverting as much waste as possible from the landfill. From old electronics and batteries to paints and hazardous materials, you can use this tool to help you figure out which waste goes where.
What Happens Next?
When you recycle your empty beverage containers, they start on a transformative journey that allows more non-renewable resources to stay in the ground, and keeps our province green and clean. Find out the importance of giving your beverage containers a life beyond the landfill.
Aluminum Cans
Aluminum can be melted down and made into new products over and over again. In fact, nearly 75 % of all the aluminum produced since 1888 is still in use today and the process uses 95 % less energy than using virgin ore. It takes just 60 days to melt a can down, turn it into a new one, fill it with a beverage and place it back on store shelves. In addition to becoming new cans, recycled aluminum is also used to make airplane parts, building facades and bicycles.
Plastic Bottles
There are two types of plastic beverage containers: thinner soda and water containers called PET bottles and thicker juice containers called HDPE bottles. Because both types are made from petroleum—a nonrenewable resource—when you recycle them, you’re helping to save 3.8 barrels of oil for every tonne that’s recycled.
Glass Bottles
It takes a lot of minerals, energy and water to make new glass from raw materials. Fortunately, glass can be recycled endlessly without any loss in purity or quality. Glass bottles are primarily used to make new containers, highway marking beads and the glass sand used to purify water. Recycled glass can also be turned into countertops, flooring, tile landscaping stones and bricks. In Manitoba, most recycled glass is crushed and used as aggregate for road bases and for water and sewer installations.
Cartons and Juice Boxes
Cartons and juice boxes can contain up to three different materials: a paper structure, an aluminum lining and a plastic coating. Recyclers use a machine called a hydrapulper to separate the material so they can be turned into different products. The paper fibre is used to make tissues, office paper and more. The leftover aluminum and plastic combination can be used in different ways such as creating lumber-like materials and more. With this process, 80% of the original carton is recycled. We also save approximately nine cubic yards of landfill space and 174 litres of oil for every tonne of drink cartons diverted from the trash.
What is Contamination?
Any non-recyclable item placed in a recycling bin is considered contamination. A single piece of contamination in a recycling bin can have far-reaching, long lasting impacts. Recyclables that have been contaminated can no longer be processed, and instead pose a further risk to other recyclables. This can mean that entire bins of valuable recycling can be diverted to the landfill.
Recycling keeps it out of the landfill
Effective in 2017, China announced a ban on certain specifications of recyclables and set an allowable contaminate rate of 0.5%. This has affected the global market and increased the need for people to recycle effectively in their own jurisdictions.
While not all our materials are sent to China, the more diligent Manitobans can be with their recycling habits the better the probability that your recyclables will stay out of the landfill.
Contamination in the recycling stream is currently a huge issue for the industry. Whatever consumers can do to avoid contaminating the recycling stream is helpful. Always check with your local community as to what is accepted in your recycling system.
Common Contaminators
Some of the most common contaminants found in Recycle Everywhere bins are leftover liquids, food and food soiled materials, disposable coffee cups and other types of open cups and lids.
Take-out cup lids
Disposable cups and other types of open cups aren’t accepted in our bins, and are considered contamination in many of the province’s recycling programs. The lack of a viable end market for these materials and the fact that every brand of coffee cup can be made up of very different materials for the lining and outer casing, makes it hard for processors to come up with a universal solution to separate these materials. The recycling industry is ever-changing which will hopefully lead to future developments with this material type.
Food Waste
Food and other organic waste is a big contributor to contamination in Manitoba. Sandwich wrappers and greasy pizza boxes meant for the trash can contaminate recycling bins. Organic waste like banana peels and apple cores are not recyclable, but can be composted if a program is available (link to other resources page).
Leftover Liquid
Leftover liquids in beverage containers can spill and cause contamination of paper products in our bins, before it makes it to the Material Recovery Facility (MRF), sending the contents to the landfill instead. This type of contamination is very easy to avoid, simply empty your beverage container before dropping in the blue bin.
Are You Ready to Recycle?
Make it easy for everyone in Manitoba to recycle their beverage containers. Sign up and order the bins you need for your workplace, campus, community or home.
