EPR for Paper and Packaging in Colchester

 

New: Effective Dec. 1, 2025, Colchester County, Towns of Truro and Stewiacke has partnered with Circular Materials to collect, manage and process recycling  material collected by the municipality or its contracted service providers. This change will bring consistency to what can be recycled throughout Nova Scotian municipalities – provincial sorting list.

Program Information

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a regulatory approach that makes producers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, especially for take-back, recycling, and final disposal. EPR came into effect across Nova Scotia on December 1, 2025.

The main idea of the EPR program is instead of government and taxpayers bearing the full cost of waste management, producers such as manufacturers, importers, or brand owners are made responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, especially after the consumer has used them.

Colchester Solid Waste has enrolled into the EPR program, allowing the municipality to continue managing residential recycling collection. This shift is expected to generate operational cost savings while aligning with broader environmental goals to divert more materials from landfill and reduce waste at the source.

What’s New for Colchester County, Towns of Truro and Stewiacke

Effective December 1, 2025, the manufacturers of packaging will be responsible for the collection and management of recycling bag materials.

New: As of Dec. 1, 2025, there will be new materials that can be recycled curbside.

Containers Recycling

  • Multi-layer containers (ice cream, frozen juice, cups and bowls, coffee cups);
  • Plastic tubes (toothpaste, deodorant, hand cream);
  • Plastic packaging (candy dispensers, bottles/pumps, pails, garden pots, seedling trays);
  • Wire hangers.

Paper Recycling

  • Paper and Gift bags
  • Paper gift wrapping
  • Paper Plate (Clean)
  • Pizza Box (Clean and empty)

New: As of Dec. 1, 2025, there are a few items that will no longer be accepted in the curbside program.

No longer accepted for curbside recycling:

  • Books (can be donated including at community library boxes or shared. Otherwise, will be included in the garbage stream)
  • Pots and pans (may be donated or are considered scrap metal. Otherwise, will be included in the garbage stream)

New: Over time, there will be new materials that can be recycled at designated depots.

Depot Locations for some of your Recycling Materials

New Materials for Depot drop-off:

  • Empty non-hazardous aerosol containers (hairspray, air freshener, shaving cream, deodorant)
  • Flexible plastic (coffee pouches, chip bags, cereal liner bags, vacuum packaging)
  • Flexible and rigid foam (styrofoam meat trays, packing peanuts, take-out containers, plates, bowls, foam packaging)

What is Not Changing for Colchester County, Towns of Truro and Stewiacke

  • Residents will continue to sort their recyclables into blue or clear bags and place them at the curb for municipal collection on their regular collection day.
  • The municipality will continue to oversee the collection of recyclables through existing service contracts.
  • Residents will continue to contact the Colchester Solid Waste Helpline 902-895-4777, use the Colchester Waste Management or visit colchester.ca/EPRcolchester for recycling questions and service concerns.
  • Businesses may continue to bring recyclables to the Colchester Materials Recovery Facility in Kemptown.

Program Resources

 

What You Can Recycle

Paper and fibre

Cardboard boxes

Pizza boxes, direct mail boxes, moving boxes, shoe boxes.

  • Place flattened and bundled cardboard 60 x 60 cm next to blue bags at the curb.
 pizza box shoe box and cardboard box

Boxboard

Cereal boxes, tissue boxes, egg cartons, rolls from toilet paper and paper towel.

  • Flatten
  • Empty
 cracker box egg carton paper rolls cereal box

Paper laminate packaging

Plates, flour bags, paper and gift bags, muffin bags.

  • Empty
 blue gift bag blue paper plate with white dots brown paper bag with handles

Paper

Any colour, including flour bags, prescription bags, paper produce bags.

Notepads, white or coloured loose paper, file folders, other printed materials.

Community newspapers, flyers, brochures and magazines.

Greeting cards and envelopes, gift boxes.

  • Place shredded paper in a tied clear plastic bag.
  • Separate from plastic bags used to cover items, remove elastic bands.
  • Remove rope handle from bags.
 stacks of magazines and newspapers paper bag and an envelope

DO NOT include soft or hard-covered books/novels.

Containers

Glass containers

Clear and coloured glass. Food containers, jars and bottles. Cosmetic containers, spice bottles, oil and vinegar bottles.

  • Empty and free from food residue.
  • Lids and caps off.
 glass bottles and a jar

Plastic containers

Laundry detergent and household cleaner jugs, shampoo, body wash, salad dressing, condiment, dish soap, mouth wash bottles.

  • Empty.
  • Lids and caps on.
 plastic spray bottles and laundry detergent jugs

Food containers

Food trays, salad, yogurt, peanut butter, bakery and egg containers, plastic cups, plastic tubs and lids.

  • Empty.
  • Lids and caps on.
 empty plastic cup containers and yogurt cups

Tubes

Toothpaste tubes, deodorant, hand cream tubes.

  • Empty.
  • Lids and caps on.
 hand cream tube toothpaste tube and deodorants

Small item plastic containers

Small item packaging, hand sanitizer bottles, plant pots.

  • Empty.
  • Lids and caps on.
 plant pot and a pump bottle

Plastic film

Plastic that can be stretched. Bags used for dry cleaning, bread, newspapers and flyers. Sandwich bags, freezer bags, shrink wrap.

  • Empty.
 plastic bags or various types and colours

Paper laminate packaging

Spiral cans, cookie dough package, ice cream containers, and hot and cold beverage cups.

  • Empty.
  • Remove lids.
 empty coffee cup ice cream tub and potato chip tube

Cartons

Dairy and dairy substitute cartons, molasses and sugar cartons, laundry and cleaning cartons, soup and sauce cartons, coffee cartons.

  • Rinse and dry.
  • Lids and caps on.
 milk carton and chicken stock carton

Aluminum (foils and trays)

Aluminum foil, pie plates, frozen food trays.

  • Rinse and dry.
  • Ball up aluminum foil.
 aluminum 300x250

Metal

Food cans, metal lids, candle, cookie, coffee and tea tins.

  • Rinse and dry.
 empty soup cans cat food can metal lid

Depots

Flexible plastics

Coffee or deli pouches, chip bags, bubble wrap, vacuum packaging, candy and snack wrappers, cereal liner bags, gift bags.

  • Empty.
 roll of bubble wrap, bubble mailer, empty chip bag, granola bar wrapper

Foam packaging (Styrofoam)

Meat trays, takeout containers, cups, plates, bowls, foam packaging.

  • Empty.
  • Remove film wrap and absorbent pads from meat trays.
 styrofoam container, trays, cups, and packaging material

Aerosol containers

Food spray, hairspray, air fresheners, shaving cream, deodorant.

  • Empty.
  • Lids and caps on.
 three aerosol containers

Click here for a list of depot locations.

Learn how to prepare your materials before taking them to depot.

Depot Locations for some of your Recycling Materials

• pdf NS Depot Guide(2.27 MB)  (PDF)
•  pdf NS Depot Material List(2.20 MB)  (PDF)

Subway Bottle Exchange

25 Pictou Road, Bible Hill

902-893-8312

John Ross & Sons

85 Glassey Avenue, Truro

902-893-9429

Tatamagouche Recycling

102 Main Street, Tatamagouche

902-657-9201

TNT Recycling

20711 Highway #2, Shubenacadie East

902-758-270

Preparing your materials

  • Separate materials from your deposit refund containers, also known as redeemable beverage containers.
  • Sort materials by material type. If materials are not properly sorted, participating drop-off locations may decline the material.
  • Ensure materials are brought to a participating drop-off location in a clear blue or transparent bag.
  • Ensure materials are clean and dry.
  • Ensure aerosol containers are empty.

Circular Materials is collaborating with independent and the Eastern Recyclers Association’s network of Enviro–Depots across Nova Scotia for a convenient way to recycle additional material (glass and cardboard) free of charge.