City Eco Centres
Residential waste drop-off facilities City Eco Centres
Visit a City of Calgary Eco Centre – a convenient way to recycle, reuse and dispose of your old and unwanted household items. Our user-friendly locations makes it safe and easy to drop off materials. They accept a wide range of items you can't dispose of in your carts at home.
Why use an Eco Centre?
By bringing your sorted materials to the Eco Centre, you will help keep more materials out of the landfill that could still be reused or recycled in a different way.
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For reusable and recyclable materials
Electronics, gently used furniture and other items can find a new life when brought to the Eco Centres.
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For hazardous materials
Chemicals, household batteries, and other items that require safe disposal to protect your family, home and the environment.
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For oversized and large quantities of household waste
Got a major decluttering project or a home reno on your hands? Eco Centres offer a responsible solution for disposing of construction materials, mattresses, and large amounts of household waste.
Free and no cost items
Automotive tires
- Including tires with rims
- Up to 12 tires per visit
Household hazardous waste
Electronics
Examples include:
- Laptops and computers
- Televisions
- Small appliances
- Power tools
- Household batteries
Blue cart recyclables
- Paper and packaging
Packaging foam
- Foam packaging
- Foam egg cartons and meat trays
- Foam takeout containers
No black foam – see full details here.
Clothing, shoes and textiles
Automotive
- Motor oil and filters
- Car batteries (lead-acid)
Propane tanks
- Propane tanks (30 lbs or less)
- Helium tanks (8.9 cubic feet and 14.9 cubic feet sizes)
- Fire extinguishers
Items with charges and fees
This is not an exhaustive list and only intended to provide major categories of what is typically brought to the Eco Centre. For more examples, please see this list.
If your item does not fit a specific category, it will likely be considered garbage (basic sanitary waste).
Furniture
Examples include:
- Filing cabinets
- Barbecues
- Metal sinks
- Patio furniture
Small engine
Examples include:
- Chainsaw
- Weedwacker
- Snow blower
- Lawn mower
- Mini bikes
Yard waste
Examples include:
- Tree trimmings and trunks
- Branches
- Leaves
- Grass clippings (no sod)
Scrap metal (items mostly made of metal)
Examples include:
- Filing cabinets
- Barbecues
- Metal sinks
- Patio furniture
Appliances
Examples include:
- Washer
- Dryer
- Stove
- Water heater
- Furnace
Appliances with freon (extra charges apply)
Examples include:
- Refrigerator
- Air conditioner
- Freezer
- Water cooler
Garbage
- Construction materials
- Mattresses
- Sod
- Treated or painted wood
- Bagged garbage
Household items
- Housewares, bakeware, dishes and decor
- Sporting goods and equipment
- Garden and garage tools
- Mops, brooms, laundry baskets and bins
- Lighting fixtures, car seats and instruments
Bikes
Drywall
- Keep material separated for recycling.
Clean wood and pallets
- Keep material separated for recycling.
How charges and fees work
Fees are based on the weight and type of items you have in your load. If you bring a mix of charge and free items, you will pay for the entire load.
Free items only
If you bring only free items in your load, there will be no fees applied.
Loads under 250 kg (550 lbs)
This applies to charge items and/or mixed loads of free and charge items.
Pay a flat rate of $25 per load.
*Most customers will fall in this category.
Loads 250kg (550lbs) and over
This applies to charge items and/or mixed loads of free and charge items.
You will be charged for the total weight of your load. Most charge items at the Eco Centres will fall under the basic sanitary waste rate.
NOTE: An additional $17 per item applies to appliances with freon (even if the refrigerant is already removed).
Composition of waste loads is highly variable. The City landfill staff has final say about acceptability of any material and the charges applied to each load.
For more details on Eco Centre charges, please see the Eco Centre rates page.
Preparation
- Keep materials separated and organized. This will make it easier to put materials into the right bins.
- Make sure your waste loads are covered and secured in your vehicle to prevent littering.
- You are responsible for all unloading of materials. For your safety, wear closed-toed shoes and always keep children and pets inside the vehicle.
During your Eco Centre visit
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1. Weigh in
Arrive at the scalehouse (same as landfill entrance). Tell staff what you're dropping off. They'll weigh your car and direct you to the Eco Centre area.
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2. Sort and drop off
A greeter will direct you to bins for your items (may require multiple stops). Follow signs for proper disposal.
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3. Weigh out and pay
Exit the Eco Centre and return to the scalehouse. Receive a final weight and pay for any fees.
Hours and locations
Please see the Eco Centre hours and locations page for more details.
FAQs
Is there a benefit to using the Eco Centre instead of other waste drop-off locations?
The City offers several drop-off locations all over the city, but they are only meant for one type of material – such as community recycling depots for blue cart recyclables or household hazardous waste drop-offs for chemicals. The Eco Centres provide one centralized location to drop off many different types of materials in one visit.
I’m only bringing in free items. Do I still need to go to the scalehouse and wait in line?
Yes. All vehicles must visit the scalehouse before entering the Eco Centre. Your vehicle is weighed in and out to keep track of the amount of materials being dropped off.
Do I need large truck to use the Eco Centre?
You can use any residential vehicle to visit the Eco Centre. The area is paved making it an accessible, year-round option to use regardless of your vehicle type.
Why are there charges for some items while others are free?
Some materials are part of larger environmental stewardship programs where consumers pay environmental fees at point-of-purchase. Those levies help with the disposal of the materials. For example, you may have noticed environmental fees on your receipt when buying items like paint or a television.
Can I weigh in and out multiple times to separate my free and charge items?
Advise the scalehouse operator of your different materials. You can ask for the option to weigh in and out for each material so you can pay each rate separately. Please note that you will not be able to bypass the queue if there is a lineup.
If you choose to only weigh in once, then you will be charged the highest rate for all materials dropped off.
Composition of waste loads is highly variable. City staff have final say about acceptability of any material and the charges applied to each load.
What items get reused or recycled?
All materials that do not go in the garbage bins will be reused or recycled. Here are a few examples:
- Yard waste – composted directly at City sites to become nutrient-rich compost
- Drywall – recycled back into new drywall
- Bikes - fixed and repurposed by various Calgary non-profits
- Foam packaging – processed and turned back into new hard plastic products like picture frames
- Paint - sorted, filtered, and reused as new paint
- Tires - recycled and turned into new products like playground flooring
- Clean wood - chipped and re-used as mulch for City operations
- Scrap metal and large metal appliances - recycled and turn back into new metal products.
- Clothing and shoes – recycled or resold in non-profit stores
- Reusable household items – resold in non-profit stores to support community and social programs (available seasonally in summer months)
Can businesses use the Eco Centre?
Yes, businesses may get directed to the Eco Centre to drop off their materials instead of the landfill. All applicable commercial rates will still apply.