- All waste placed in the cart must be bagged and tied securely.
- Do not overfill; lids must close entirely, and contents must empty freely.
- Place your cart at the curb by 7 a.m. on your collection day.
- The front of the Waste Cart must face the street.
- Leave at least 1.5 meters between your Waste Cart and any obstacles, such as trees, mailboxes, or parked cars.
- Do not write or spray paint on the Waste Cart.
Waste, Recycling, Organics
Westlock residents enjoy convenient and reliable curbside collection services for household waste, recycling, and organics through Prairie Waste Solutions, with oversight from the Westlock Regional Waste Management Commission.
New to Town?
Need a replacement or extra cart?
Contact Us:
Town of Westlock: 780-349-4444
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
Alberta’s recycling system is changing through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which shifts responsibility for funding and managing the recycling of packaging and paper products from municipalities to the companies that produce and supply those materials.
Westlock’s residential recycling program is managed by Circular Materials, a national not-for-profit producer responsibility organization.
Starting October 1, 2026, residents will be able to recycle more materials through Westlock’s curbside recycling program.
The expanded program will also create a more consistent list of recyclable materials across Alberta.
Circular Materials
Learn more about recycling in Alberta
Household Waste
Weekly pickup: Wednesdays
- Place carts at the curb by 7 a.m.
-
Leave carts out until the next day before reporting a missed pickup
Did you miss a pickup or need help?
Contact Prairie Waste Solutions
780-772-4743 (Ext. 3)
info@prairiews.ca
Blue Bag Recycling
Weekly pickup: Thursdays
- Includes clean paper, cardboard, metal cans, and plastics
-
Use clear or blue-tinted bags
More materials accepted starting October 1, 2026
Beginning October 1, Westlock residents can place additional packaging and paper products in their curbside recycling, including:
- Glass containers – clear and coloured food and beverage bottles and jars
- Foam packaging – meat trays, takeout containers, cups, plates and protective foam packaging
- Flexible plastic packaging – bread bags, produce bags, overwrap, chip and snack bags, cereal liners, bubble wrap and similar flexible plastics
- Empty aerosol containers – including food spray, hairspray, air freshener, shaving cream and deodorant containers
- Paper laminate and other packaging – including spiral cans, ice cream containers, hot and cold beverage cups and certain paper-based food packaging
Not sure where an item goes?
Visit Circular Materials for the current Alberta accepted-material list and recycling information.
Organics Collection
Weekly: Thursdays (April–November)
Monthly: Third Thursday (December–March)
Place only accepted food and yard waste into your green cart
2026 Collection Schedule
Download a PDF of the 2026 Waste, Recycle, Organics Schedule
Our Waste Partners
Prairie Waste Solutions
Manages all curbside residential waste and organics collection in Westlock. Visit Prairie Waste Solutions.
Westlock Regional Waste Management Commission (WRWMC)
Oversees the Westlock Regional Landfill – a Class II municipal waste facility.
Landfill Hours:
-
Tues–Fri: 10 a.m. – 5:45 p.m.
-
Sat: 9 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Visit WRWMC.com
AltRoot (Alternative Root)
Diverts Westlock’s organic waste from landfill composts it and returns it to the land as fertilizer. Learn more at AltRoot.ca
Need Help?
- Your Organic Cart must be placed curbside by 7 a.m. on your organics collection day.
- Organic Carts belong to the house address they are assigned to, as identified by a bar code on the cart. For identification purposes, the Town recommends you record the serial number of your Organic Cart.
- On your collection day, wheel the Organic Cart to the curb, where your garbage and recycling are collected.
- Please be sure your Organic Cart is placed one metre clear of any obstacle in each direction, including overhead and between Carts. As Organic Carts are collected using automated vehicles, sufficient space between other items and possible obstructions is required.
- Please ensure the lid is fully closed on the Organic Cart. If it is not, your organics may not be collected.
Organics Acceptable Items
- Food Waste
- Yard Waste
- Paper Waste
- Other Waste
- Bread and baked goods
- Coffee grinds and filters
- Cooled cooking oils or grease
- Dairy products - Eggs and eggshells
- Fowl*
- Grains, nuts, flour, etc.
- Fruits, vegetables, peelings
- Meat products and bones*
- Pasta and rice
- Seafood*
- Soup stock
- Tea bags
- Brush or prunings
- Garden foliage
- Grass clippings
- Leaves
- Small branches
- Weeds
- Freezer, wax or parchment paper
- Soiled paper products (e.g. newspapers)
- Soiled paper-based egg trays or cartons (e.g., milk cartons)
- Wet or soiled cardboard (e.g. wet pizza boxes)
- Wet or soiled paper towels and tissues
- shredded paper
- Pet waste in compostable bags
- Cereal boxes
- Bars of soap
- Floor sweepings
- Saw dust
*Please wrap items in newspaper.
Organics Unacceptable Items
- Beverage (pop) cans
- Diapers or wipes
- Electronics or small appliances
- Fire ashes
- Glass
- Household hazardous waste
- Hot drink cups
- Hazardous Waste
- Metal
- Plastic
- Plastic bags
- Plastic toys
- Sod and soil
- Styrofoam
It is best practice to use a kitchen catcher to collect food scraps and empty them into your Organic Cart when the kitchen catcher is full. It should also be used with a lining of compostable bags, paper bags or newsprint.
If you prefer not to use compostable bags, line the cart's bottom and sides with a few pages of a newspaper or soiled cardboard to prevent material from sticking to the cart.
Do not pack material into the cart, as this may cause the material to stick.
Compostable bags are recommended for organics disposal; select bags with the BPI or Compostable logos. These logos distinguish certified products from other products on the market that are not compostable.
The logo below should be located on the outside of the package and on the liner:
Paper-based composting bags do not require the BPI logo and are suitable for use in the Town's Organic Cart program.
Do not:
- overfill the cart
- contaminate the cart with improper material
- pack garbage into the cart
- write or spray-paint the cart
To prevent organics material from freezing to the inside of the cart:
- line the cart with newspaper, pizza boxes or cardboard
- wrap wet organics material in a newspaper, paper towels or soiled cardboard
- alternate layers in the cart with wet and dry materials
Reducing Odours
The Organic Cart has been designed to promote oxygen flow to the organics inside the cart. This allows the composting process to begin, which will dry out the materials and reduce odours.
Odours are often caused by too much moisture. Reduce moisture by layering dry (paper or leaves) and wet (food waste) materials in your cart. This will help damp or smelly organics dry out and start the composting process.
Layer organics by placing a layer of wet waste (e.g., kitchen waste) and then dry waste (e.g., newspaper). Alternate layers of wet and dry material
Keeping it Clean
- Store the cart in a shady, well-ventilated area.
- When cleaning out your refrigerator, try waiting until the day before your collection day rather than the day after.
- Set your Organic Cart out for collection every week, even if it is not full.
- After each collection, tip over your Organic Cart to pour out any liquid left behind. You can also rinse your cart periodically with a hose or clean it with a mild detergent solution to wash away debris and buildup. When rinsing, please drain your cart onto landscaped areas on your lawn or near shrubbery and not into storm sewers. Allow the cart to dry completely before its subsequent use.
Winter Care Tips
To prevent organics material from freezing to the inside of the cart:
- line the cart with newspaper, pizza boxes or cardboard
- wrap wet organics material in a newspaper, paper towels or soiled cardboard
- alternate layers in the cart with wet and dry materials
Moving? Damaged or Stolen Cart?
The cart must be left at the residence if you move, or you may be charged.
If your cart is damaged, stolen or vandalized, please contact Operations at 780-349-4444. Residents are responsible for any damage caused to Carts, except that caused by the contractor's drivers.
Pest Control
Pests (such as flies, maggots and other critters) have always been a common problem with waste collection programs. While pests may be difficult to eliminate, these tips will help you get rid of them or (even better) avoid them altogether.
Maggots and Flies
Maggots are fly larvae and occur when flies lay eggs on organic waste. Depending on temperatures and other conditions, they typically have a seven-day life cycle. Discourage flies from laying their eggs in your Organic Cart by reducing odours and reducing access to food waste in the cart.
- Certain odours will repel flies, such as pennyroyal, camphor, eucalyptus, mint or bay. Try hanging some bruised leaves of these herbs in clusters, or apply dabs of herbal oil to the outside of your Organic Cart.
- Flies are attracted to protein, like meat and bones. Try waiting until the night before collection to place these items in the Organic Cart. If space permits, place these items in a paper container (e.g., an empty paper ice cream container) and store them in your freezer. In any case, wrap meat and seafood scraps before placing them in your kitchen catcher or your Organic Cart.
- Line the outer rim of your Organic Cart with salt or spray with vinegar to keep flies from entering. You can also sprinkle rock salt or garden lime inside the cart. If you get flies or maggots in your Organic Cart
- Cover your cart with black plastic sheeting (e.g., a garbage bag) to trap heat and kill off the flies during the summer. Flies are most active during temperatures of 20 to 25°C and become undetectable above 45°C and below 10°C.
- Cover maggots with powdered garden lime, salt or vinegar.
- Sprinkle diatomaceous earth, a natural product that kills larvae, slugs, etc., on the critters and over the Organic Cart waste. Check garden centres and nurseries for availability.
- Clean your Organic Cart thoroughly after the next collection day, using water and a light detergent or a water/vinegar solution. Leave no residue in the bottom of the cart, and ensure it is dry before use.
Animals or Vermin
If animals are a problem, store the cart away from fences, trees, tables or chairs. Be sure to clasp the lockable lid on your cart.
Recycling Collection - acceptable items
What can I recycle?
Westlock’s curbside recycling program accepts designated packaging and paper products, including:
Paper and fibre
- Cardboard and boxboard
- Newspapers, flyers, magazines and office paper
- Paper bags and other accepted paper packaging
- Cartons and paper-based containers
Plastic
- Plastic bottles, jugs, tubs, trays and containers
- Flexible plastic packaging
- Plastic bags and overwrap accepted through the provincial program
Metal
- Food and beverage cans
- Metal containers
- Aluminium foil and trays
- Empty aerosol containers
Glass
- Clear and coloured glass bottles and jars
Foam and other packaging
- Foam packaging and food containers
- Paper laminate and other designated packaging
Please empty containers and remove food residue before recycling.
For the complete and most current list, visit Circular Materials’ Alberta recycling information.
Recycling Collection - unacceptable items
What does not belong in recycling?
Please do not place items such as the following in your recycling:
- Food or food waste
- Diapers and wipes
- Clothing and textiles
- Electronics and small appliances
- Batteries, paint, oil or other household hazardous waste
- Scrap metal, wood or construction materials
- Toys and other durable household items
- Yard waste
Some items that were previously not accepted, including glass containers, foam packaging and flexible plastic packaging, are recyclable beginning October 1, 2026.
Check Circular Materials before throwing an item away if you are unsure.