Recycling

Recycling is collected every second week in Courtenay. View collection zones and schedule for more information.

Bring Your Own Cup Initiative:

When: March 29 to April 26, 2025

The City of Courtenay has partnered with the Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association (DCBIA) to encourage the use of reusable cups in our downtown coffee shops. During the event, you can bring your reusable cup to one of the partnered coffee shops and you will be given a stamp card and your first stamp! After that everytime you bring in your resuable cup in for your coffee you will receive another stamp to have a chance to win one of our prizes at the end of the event. Every stamp is an additional entry, so if you fill up a card just ask for another one. After the event is over you will be able to enter the draw by emailing your stamp card(s) with your name and phone number attached to solidwaste@courtenay.ca or by bringing them in to City Hall or the Operations Yard. You will have until May 3, 2025 to submit your entries.

These 8 coffee shops are taking part in the initiative:

  • Bigfoot Donuts
  • Blue Spruce Ice Cream
  • Frankie Jo's Bakery Cafe
  • Freyja - The Croissant Story
  • Hot Chocolates
  • Mignon & Kie Cafe and Eatery
  • Mudsharks Coffee Bar
  • The Twisted Mint Café

Canadians discard an estimated 1.5 billion single-use cups annually, contributing to over 400 million tonnes of waste each year, with less than 10% being recycled. The "Bring Your Own Cup" initiative aims to reduce this environmental impact by fostering a culture of reuse and sustainability. This effort aligns with the City's broader waste reduction goals and precedes a Community Clean-Up Event on April 26, just after Earth Day.

How to set out your cart

  • Place your recycling cart (blue lid) at the curb between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. on collection day.
  • Position it close to the road, but do not block traffic, sidewalks or bike lanes.
  • Leave at least 1 metre (3 feet) of space around each cart.
  • Ensure there is 3 metres of clearance above the carts.
  • The lid must be completely closed, with the arrows pointing toward the street.
  • Place materials loose in the cart—do not use clear plastic bags.
  • Contain shredded paper in a paper bag or cardboard box.

For more details, including cart placement on streets with bike lanes or on-street parking, see the automated curbside cart collection guide [PDF - 1 MB].

Important reminders

  • Use standardized carts. Personal carts will not be collected. (See collection carts for more information.)
  • Extra material outside the cart will not be collected.
  • Materials must be placed loose in recycling bins. Do not place materials in clear plastic.
  • Contain shredded paper in a paper bag or cardboard box.

Accepted in the recycling cart

Paper

  • newspapers, inserts, flyers
  • shredded paper (contained in a paper bag or cardboard box)
  • magazines, catalogues, directories
  • writing and home office paper, envelopes, notepads
  • paper gift wrap and greeting cards (musical greeting cards must go to a recycling depot with e-waste)
  • paper plates, bowls, cups (with thin plastic lining)
  • paper party décor (including paper decorations, signs, hats, tablecloths, piñatas)

Cardboard and paper packaging

  • flattened corrugated cardboard
  • boxboard boxes (boxes used for cereal, shoes, tissues, pizza, frozen entrees, desserts, detergent, etc.)
  • cores for paper towels and toilet rolls
  • frozen dessert boxes
  • moulded paper packaging (used for egg cartons, take-out drink trays, paper seeding pots)
  • paper bags (also called Kraft paper), including multi-layered paper bags (used for flour, sugar, etc.) 
  • food cartons (soup, dairy, substitute eggs, juice, etc.)

Plastic

  • plastic food storage containers and lids
  • plastic hangers from clothing
  • single-use plastic plates, bowls, cups
  • plastic dental floss cases and tape dispensers
  • plastic jugs with screw tops (used for cooking oil, laundry detergent, fabric softener, cleaning products, etc.)
  • plastic bottles with screw caps, spray, pumps or pull-up tops (used for food, dish soap, mouth wash, personal care products, pills, vitamins, etc.)
  • plastic jars with screw tops (used for peanut butter, jam, nuts, condiments, etc.)
  • plastic cannabis containers
  • plastic clamshell packaging (used for baked goods, produce, eggs, etc.)
  • plastic tubs and lids (used for yoghurt, margarine, cottage cheese, ice cream, etc.)
  • plastic black-bottom trays with clear lids (used for deli chicken, single-serve meals, baked goods etc.)
  • plastic drink cups with lids (used for take-out beverages)
  • single-use straws and stir sticks
  • plastic cutlery
  • microwavable plastic bowls and cups
  • empty single-use coffee/tea pods (remove lids and do not include lids in recycling)
  • rigid plastic packaging (used for toothbrushes, batteries, etc.—remove paper backing and recycle separately)
  • plastic nursery and seedling trays
  • plastic plant pots (decorative)

Metal

  • food tins/cans and lids
  • metal containers (used for cookies, chocolates, etc.)
  • thin-gauge metal storage tins
  • clean aluminum foil
  • clean aluminum take-out containers, pie plates, baking dishes
  • empty aerosol cans

Not accepted in the recycling cart

Some recyclable items cannot be collected at the curb because they are incompatible with sorting machinery. Use our interactive Waste Wizard tool to find drop-off locations for these items.

  • glass
  • Styrofoam packaging (meat trays, bowls, cups, plates, etc.)
  • squishy foam-like cushion packaging
  • plastic overwrap (used for toilet paper, paper towel, feminine hygiene product, etc.)
  • plastic bags (used for groceries, bread, dry bulk foods, frozen vegetables, etc.)
  • plastic re-useable bags
  • plastic wrap (except for florist cellophane, which goes into the garbage)
  • plastic drop sheets and coverings
  • other flexible plastic packaging, including freezer bags (used for chips, candy, coffee, sandwiches, etc.)
  • bubble wrap (except paper-lined bubble wrap)
  • lights and light fixtures
  • batteries and cell phones
  • electronics and appliances
  • paint cans
  • scrap metal

If you aren’t sure whether an item can be recycled through curbside collection, use our interactive Waste Wizard tool.

Missed collection

If your recycling cart was not picked up, contact Operational Services.

Recycling at home

If you'd like ideas on how to improve your home recycling, watch this video from Comox Strathcona Waste Management (CSWM) on setting up an effective home recycling system.

Recycle BC

Recycle BC is a not-for-profit organization that manages residential packaging and paper recycling in British Columbia. They ensure that materials collected from homes and recycling depots are properly sorted and recycled.

Recycle BC provides services directly or partners with local governments, First Nations, private companies and other organizations. They serve 183 communities and operate numerous recycling depots. In 2021, over 210,000 tonnes of materials were collected.

The program is funded by businesses — including retailers, manufacturers and restaurants — that supply recyclable materials to B.C. residents.