What you cannot bring
We want your trip to the facility to be as quick and easy as possible. The best way to guarantee a smooth drop-off is to make sure none of our restricted items end up in your truck bed. We restrict these materials as they pose severe risks to our local ecosystem, attract dangerous wildlife, or create serious fire hazards for the team members operating the heavy equipment.
Before you head our way, please double-check that you aren't carrying any of the following items, and check out where they do belong.
1. Liquids of Any Kind
Why they're banned: In a landfill pit, any added moisture, even plain water, mixes with garbage to create a toxic, contaminated run-off called "leachate." This liquid is incredibly expensive to capture and treat, and it poses a massive threat to local groundwater if it escapes.
What to do instead:
The "Solidify It" Trick: For non-hazardous household liquids (like cooking oils, grease, or leftover beverages), mix them with an absorbent material like kitty litter, sawdust, or dirt until they are completely solid. Once solidified, they can safely go into the regular household trash.
Evaporation: For clean water or rainwater collected in bins, simply dump it out on your lawn or garden at home before bringing the empty containers to the facility.
Large Volumes: Commercial liquid waste (like hydro-vac sludge) must be taken to specialized processing facilities, such as the hydro-vac pad at the Lethbridge Waste & Recycling Centre.
2. Toxic or Hazardous Wastes
Why they're banned: These pose a direct threat of fires, explosive chemical reactions, and toxic fumes for the compactor operators working the active landfill face.
What to do instead:
Designated HHW Depots: While the regular garbage pit can't take them, regional facilities (like the main Crowsnest/Pincher Creek Landfill site) often have a separate, secure drop-off building specifically for Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) like paints, solvents, and cleaners.
Community Roundups: Encourage residents to stockpile these items safely in a garage or shed until local municipalities host their seasonal HHW round-up days.
3. Animal Carcasses or Butchering Waste
Why they're banned: They are a major biohazard, create intense odour issues, and act as a massive attractant for bears and other scavengers, a critical safety concern for staff and visitors along the Highway 3.
What to do instead:
On-Farm Burial: Under Alberta's Disposal of Dead Animals Regulation, livestock owners and farmers are permitted to safely bury carcasses on their own land, provided they meet the required weight limits and strict setbacks from water tables and property lines.
Rendering Services: For larger agricultural operations or high volumes of butchering waste, commercial rendering companies will do farm pick-ups.
Hunters and Game: Hunters processing wild game should follow Alberta Fish and Wildlife guidelines, which typically encourage leaving the remains in the field (well away from trails, roads, and waterways) to naturally re-enter the ecosystem.
Thank You!
If you are packing up the truck and aren't quite sure where a specific item belongs, just ask one of our staff members when you arrive. We are always happy to point you in the right direction!