FAQ-Waste-Metals

Municipalities across Alberta have various methods for waste metal collection.

Most residential recycling programs accept small, household metal products (e.g. food cans). Contact your municipality to find out what the options are in your district. Or, check your Yellow Pages under “recycling” to find out more on recycling opportunities in your area.

For larger, scrap metal products or commercial metal waste, communities often have drop-off bins or local metal recycling companies who accept large amounts of metal products.

What is scrap metal?

Sources of waste metals consist primarily of residential and commercially generated items such as steel and aluminum cans, white goods (fridges, stoves), small appliances and other miscellaneous items (metal furnishings, fasteners and fittings). Most sources of scrap metals have traditionally been recovered for recycling due to their high value and are unlikely to end up in landfill.

Steel that is made from recycled scrap uses only one-quarter of the energy it takes to make it from iron ore. Aluminum that is made from recycled scrap save up to 95 per cent of the energy used to manufacture it from aluminum ore. Close to 75 per cent of ferrous scrap (steel) and 45 per cent of non-ferrous scrap (aluminum, brass, copper) are recovered for recycling.

Where do we recycle scrap metal?

This depends on the form the metal is in (i.e. what type of product it is). Take large scrap metal products to metal drop off bins in communities or local metal recyclers, (e.g. appliances, metal bed frames, old cars). Put household metal products (e.g. rinsed food cans) in your blue bag, blue box or other municipal recyclable collection program.

Contact your municipality to find out what happens in your community or check the Yellow Pages under “Recycling”.

Where do we recycle aluminum?

This depends on the form the aluminum is in (i.e. what type of product it is).  Aluminum is highly valuable, and collected for many recycling projects.  Take returnable aluminum beverage containers to bottle depots, large scrap aluminum pieces to metal drop off bins in communities or local metal recyclers, and put household metal products (e.g. aluminum cans) in your blue bag, blue box or other municipal recyclable collection program.

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