Recycling
Every year, more than 1,500 truckloads of recyclables are kept out of our landfills. Thank you for being a part of the solution!
Wondering if an item can be recycled? Ask yourself these two simple questions:
- Is it a container, packaging or printed material?
- Is it made of paper, cardboard, metal, plastic or glass?
Accepted materials
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Beverage cans
Nespresso coffee pods
Put in the green bag provided
Tin cans
Cardboard boxes
Flattened
Juice boxes and milk cartons
Aseptic packaging, like Tetra Pak
Window envelope
Newspapers, flyers and magazines
Removed from Publisac
Bagged shredded paper
Silk paper
Toilet paper and paper towel rolls
Plastic packaging or containers marked with a number between 1 and 5
Containers
Bottles, detergent bottles, food product containers, cosmetics containers, etc.
Packaging
Plastic bags (put in a transparent bag–bagful of bags), egg packaging, etc.
*Food styrofoams are refused!
*Compostable plastics (#7 PLA) are refused!
Bottles
Glass containers
Jars of any colour
*There are several glass drop-off points now accessible in Brome-Missisquoi.
Remember these eight magic words and you’ll know what goes in your bin: Paper, cardboard, plastic, metal, glass, containers, printed materials and packaging.
Refused materials
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Car batteries
Wood
Camping propane tanks
Bricks
Clotheslines, wires and Christmas lights
Wire and rope
Toasters
Outdoor playgrounds modules
Paints, stains and solvents
Pesticides and fertilizers
Batteries
Electronics
Styrofoam
PVC piping
And much more (see the Ecocentre page)
Medications
Syringes
Plastic wine corks
Strapping
Diapers
Pallet wrapping
Accepted if placed in a transparent bag
Snack bar wrapping
Multi-layered packaging
Plastic or bubble mail envelopes
E.g., Amazon, Purolator
Fruit and vegetable nets
Pool toys and accessories
Metallic papers and gift decorations
Photos or laminated paper
Small yogurt containers
Small yogurt containers #6
Plastic marked with a number 6 or 7
Plastics with no number
Production waste
See the Symbiosis of Brome-Missisquoi for solutions
Chip bags
Styrofoam food packaging
Waxed cardboard coffee cups and number 6 plastic lids
Soiled fabrics
Plastic utensils
Broken dishware
Compostable or biodegradable plastic dishware and packaging
Broken glass
And much more (see the Garbage page)
Changes may be coming to the lists of materials accepted and refused in the recycling bin following the new reform of the selective collection system by the government of Quebec. Stay tuned!
FAQ
Empty and flatten your boxes for more space.
Bring any extra recyclable materials to the ecocentre.
Please note that excess materials placed on the ground next to your bin will not be collected.
Contact your municipality to see whether you can get a second recycling bin.
We recommend rinsing out containers to remove as many contaminants as possible. By doing so, you’re helping the workers at the sorting centre.
Yes. All types of glass containers can be put in the recycling bin.
However, the best option is to bring them to a glass drop-off point.
Check out our interactive map to find your nearest glass recycling bins! (French only)
However, please note that broken glasses, cups and dishes go in the trash.
If your bin is broken, please contact your municipality to resolve the issue.
No. Not all plastics can be put in the recycling bin. Only containers, packaging and printed materials are accepted. Other plastic objects can be taken to an ecocentre.
However, if your plastic object is in good condition, try taking it to a reuse or donation centre. You could also list it for free on an exchange site.
The plastic play modules for children can be brought to the reuse space of the regional ecocentre located in Cowansville.
When bags arrive at the sorting centre and appear on the sorting line, they’re considered trash.
Since the line moves quickly, the employees do not have time to open bags and check their contents.
That’s why it’s better to sort your materials at the source and put them in loose in your recycling bin.
Tips and tricks
Do not bag your recyclables. It’s very important to leave them loose in your recycling bin.
Although most materials in your recycling bin should be loose, plastic bags are the exception to the rule. Group them together in a clear, tied plastic bag (a bag of bags).
Also, remember to empty the plastic bags before putting them in a bag. For example, take the flyers out of the Publisac bag, put them in the recycling, and then put the Publisac bag in your bag of bags.
Tip: Plastic bags must expand to be recyclable. For example, frozen fruit bags do not stretch and so they cannot be put in your bag of bags.
Before putting boxes in the recycling bin, make sure you empty and sort their contents and then collapse them.
Look for this phrase on aluminum cans and plastic, glass, soft drink and beer bottles.
Not only does this allow you to get your deposit back, but it also means that all these cans and bottles can be recycled.
Myths
FALSE.
Sorting centres make their money from the sale of recyclables, so they have no interest in disposing of them. Recyclables have a monetary value.
More than one million tonnes of recyclable materials are sent to Quebec’s sorting centres every year!
FALSE.
Aluminum can in fact be recycled indefinitely.
This means aluminum paper, cans, plates and other products can be placed in the recycling bin, even if they are slightly dirty with food.
FALSE.
Once your recycling is collected, its contents are sent to the Enviro Connexions sorting centre in Granby.
At the beginning of the sorting process, employees remove contaminants—materials that can’t be recycled. That’s why it’s important to keep employees safe and not put dangerous items in your recycling bin.
Then, various machines sort through the different materials.
Take a look at the video at the top of the page to learn more! (French only)