We talk a lot about what can be recycled and how you can do it, but it is important to take a step back and review some items that cannot be recycled. Some items are dangerous and can cause harm to recycling center employees. Other items can damage the environment. The following items should never be placed into a recycling bin and should be disposed of very carefully.
1. Needles
Needles need to be disposed of properly to ensure that no one gets hurts and diseases don’t spread. Home injection needles, like the ones used by diabetics, can be thrown in the garbage, but they have to be in a puncture-resistant container. The City of Calgary also has a needle safety program that includes safe needle disposal boxes for citizens to dispose of used needles.
2. Household Hazardous Waste
This category includes automotive chemicals, batteries, cleaning chemicals, paint, and fluorescent bulbs. All of these items can have harmful effects and should be disposed of properly. The City of Calgary has designated household hazardous waste drop-off sites around the city. Make sure that each item is properly sealed before dropping it off. For a full list of hazardous items and drop-off locations check out the City of Calgary’s website.
3. Pressurized Tanks
If you are a keener you may notice that this is also listed on the City of Calgary’s household hazardous waste list. We are listing it again to emphasize that pressurized tanks are dangerous and can cause harm if not disposed of correctly. There are cases where tanks have exploded in trucks or sprayed hazardous chemicals  on recycling center employees. Propane tanks up to 20 Lbs can be brought to the household hazardous waste drop-off sites, but there are also Throw ‘n’ Go facilities at city landfills that accept propane tanks and other special recyclable items free of charge.
