On Monday, December 1, 2025, provincial regulations for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) will come into effect across Nova Scotia.
EPR will shift responsibility for curbside recycling programs from municipalities to the producers of packaging and paper products – making EPR beneficial for taxpayers and the planet. Under the new program, producers will have to meet recycling targets that will encourage more eco-friendly packaging and reduce single-use plastics.
The Municipality of Clare has opted into the program and will continue to provide curbside recycling collection for residential properties as per usual. Residents will have the same garbage / recyclable collection service, collection day, Recycle Coach App and customer support available through Waste Check.
Circular Materials, a national not-for-profit organization, is responsible for managing the collection and processing of materials under the EPR. The administrator, Divert NS, oversees the program to ensure compliance with provincial regulations. Learn more about Divert NS and Circular Materials here.
These provincial regulations determine which materials are accepted for recycling. Starting on Monday, December 1, 2025, Nova Scotians will be able to recycle a consistent list of materials no matter where they live in the province. A list of these changes follows, or you can download a 
PDF version of the information here.
What is changing for residents?
EPR will not cause major changes in the way residents of the Municipality of Clare recycle. The main difference for residents is that more items will now be accepted in blue bags for curbside recycling (see list below). The program will also allow certain items—such as aerosol cans—to be recycled at depot drop-off locations. Most of the EPR-related changes happen before you use the product and after your recyclables are collected from the curb, not in how you dispose of the item at home.
New items accepted in blue bag curbside recycling:
Blue bags for paper recycling
- Multi-layer paper containers, such as:
- paper cups (including disposable paper hot and cold beverage cups)
- ice cream cartons
- cookie dough spiral cans
- frozen juice spiral cans
- potato chip spiral cans
Blue bags for plastics / containers recycling
- Plastic tubes, including:
- toothpaste
- deodorant
- hand cream containers
- Small item plastic packaging, such as:
- bottles/pumps
- candy/gum containers
- pails
- garden pots
- seedling trays
No longer be accepted in the curbside recycling program:
- Books (which can be donated to community library boxes/thrift shops, or shared with others to be reused).
Recycling through depot drop-off locations:
As part of the EPR, residents will now be able to recycle additional items at participating depot drop-off locations. The depot drop-off location in Clare is Comeau's Bottle Exchange & Enviro-Depot (8659 Highway 1, Meteghan).
- foam packaging (such as meat trays, takeout containers);
- flexible plastics (such as coffee or deli pouches, chip bags, bubble wrap, vacuum packaging, candy and snack wrappers and cereal liner bags); and
- non-hazardous aerosol cans (food spray, hairspray, air fresheners, shaving cream).
Recycling through the depot drop-off is not mandatory. However, we encourage residents to use the depot system as it continues to evolve. Updates will be shared with residents as they become available from Circular Materials.
Recycling routines for residents:
Residents should continue sorting recyclables into blue bags and placing them at the curb on their regular collection day. For questions or service concerns, residents can contact Waste Check by phone at 902-742-1312 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please be patient as their team continues to update the Recycle Coach app and sorting guide during the transition.
More Information:
You can learn more about Circular Materials or the EPR here: