By Adan Shaikh
Currently Alberta holds the top spot in Canada as the province that recycles the most. According to government of Alberta, in 2024, Albertans returned more than two billion cans, bottles and other containers.
“Albertans are winners and these results prove it. My call to Albertans is simple: when you are finished with your cans and bottles, recycle. Put money back in your pocket. And keep helping your fellow Albertans beat the competition,” commented, Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) was introduced in Alberta in 2022. This program shifts recycling costs from municipalities to producers of packaging, plastics, paper products, electronics and hazardous waste. The aim is to encourage businesses to use recyclable products, improve municipal efficiency and reduce landfill waste. A provincial program that Camrose is now implementing and participating in.
“Over the past two years, administration has participated in many workshops, webinars and meetings hosted by the Province of Alberta, the Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA) the organization that has been designated by the Province to implement the EPR Regulation, and the various Producer Responsible Organizations (PROs),” shared Kristofer Johnson, City’s general manager of infrastructure.
At the March 24 regular council meeting, the City Council approved the decision to enter into a contract with Circular Materials, the PRO that the City will be working with. But what exactly does this mean for the residents?
“Council authorized the City to enter into a three month contract with Circular Materials for the period of April 1 to June 30, 2025. This is to allow the City to fulfill the operations contract currently in place with Centra Cam. During this time the Recycling Depot will continue to operate as is,” shared Johnson.
“At a later date, likely in late May or early June, the next contract with Circular Materials for July 1 to October 1, 2026, will be presented to Council for their decision. This contract would allow the loose collection of EPR materials (paper products such as newspapers, packaging, cardboard, printed paper and magazines; plastics, rigid and flexible; metal and glass) at the Recycling Depot. For the Recycling Depot operations, this means that the existing smaller bins which residents use to sort their recyclable materials, will be replaced by a few larger bins. This will make recycling easier for residents, as there will be less sorting required by residents when they drop off their mixed recyclable materials,” explained Johnson.
Although the EPR program will potentially increase the service levels provided to the citizens of Camrose, the biggest concern that was brought forward to the Council about the moving forward with the EPR program was its possible impact on Centra Cam’s operations.
“The City will continue to collaborate with Centra Cam on the operation of the Recycle Depot facility. The City is under contract with Centra Cam for the operations of the Recycle Depot until the end of June and is working towards a subsequent contract for July 1 to September 30, 2026,” said Johnson.
The plans on what will happen after 2026 are not known at this point, but the City intends to continue to work closely with Centra Cam.
The phase two of the EPR program would bring curb-side collection for recycling in Camrose but this will be decided upon in 2026 prior to the phase two implementation date of October 1, 2026. The revenue from the implementation of EPR could be used to reduce recycling user charges in Camrose.
With the approval of the first contract, the City of Camrose has officially entered into a new chapter when it comes to recycling.
Quick facts
(shared by Alberta News)
-Albertans send 1,034 kilograms per person of waste to landfills annually – more than any other Canadian jurisdiction. The national average is 710 kilograms per year.
-EPR has two programs that focus on two main types of waste materials:
-Single-use products, packaging and printed paper.
-Hazardous and special products like batteries or flammable materials.
-As of March 17, 99 per cent of all curbside recycling contracts are in-place for the April 1 start date.
-All First Nations and MĂ©tis communities have also been contacted and most have registered to participate in the October 2026 intake date.
-The Alberta Recycling Management Authority, which has managed regulated recycling programs for used oil, paint, tires and electronics for more than 30 years, is overseeing the new EPR systems.