Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a new provincial regulation that shifts the responsibility for recycling from municipalities and taxpayers to the producers—the companies that create packaging, paper products, batteries and hazardous waste. Under EPR, producers are now financially and physically responsible for collecting, sorting and recycling these materials.
As of April 1, 2025, Alberta’s EPR program is officially in effect. For Cochrane residents, this means:
- Blue cart pick-up and Eco Centre drop-offs will continue as usual.
- Producers and their partners now cover the costs of recycling their products.
- Decisions about recycling services will be made by Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs), who represent producers and manage the system.
Producer responsibility organizations
Under the new EPR program, producers (the companies who make products) are now responsible for funding the collection and processing of certain types of waste. As a result, decisions about the recycling program will be made by Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs), partners that represent producers.
For information on accepted items, use the "What bin?" tool below and download the My Cochrane Collection app to keep your recycling guide on hand.