Waste and Recycling Legislation

Waste Legislation Hierarchy

Alberta produces many wastes requiring management. Depending on the type of waste and how it is generated, transported and processed, it may be subject to one or more pieces of local, provincial or Federal legislation.

Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) is the provincial department responsible for how wastes and recyclables are managed in Alberta. The Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA) is most relevant to waste and enables waste and recycling regulations. A figure to the right shows the hierarchy of how requirements are enabled.

Provided below are links to waste and recycling legislation specific to AEP. Regulations listed below are enabled under EPEA.

Acts

Regulations

Codes of Practice

The following codes of practice are provided for waste management facilities that are eligible for registration as described by the Activities Designation Regulation.

While some small select waste facilities can register under one of the above codes, others will require an EPEA approval.

Standards, Guides and Manuals

The following guidelines and standards apply to waste management facilities.

Acceptable Industry Practices and Fact Sheets

Some wastes have material-specific legislation for their characterization and environmentally protective management. Below are some facts sheets for specific wastes that provide additional clarity on how they must be managed.

Fact Sheets on Setbacks for Waste Facilities

Waste facilities have a minimum separation distance to schools, residence, hospitals and food establishments. In some cases, a subdivision of development authority may seek to vary setback distances. Provided below are documents describing the processes and requirements for setback distance variation consent from specific types of waste management facilities.

Resources

The department has created or assisted in the preparation of the following valuable resources to further educate Albertans on responsible waste management.

General

Performance indicators

Waste data is collected annually to track the amount of municipal solid waste going to landfills per capita and is published in the department’s annual report.

For Households

For Industry

For Teachers