Paint, motor oil, propane tanks, solvents and pesticides cannot legally ride in a junk truck. In British Columbia and Alberta almost all of them have a free drop off program, and most people have never been told they exist. Here is where each one goes.
| What you have | Metro Vancouver and BC | Calgary and Alberta | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid paint, stain, paint aerosols | Product Care collection site | City Eco Centre or fire station HHW depot | Free |
| Solvents, thinners, flammable liquids, gasoline | Product Care collection site | City Eco Centre or fire station HHW depot | Free |
| Pesticides and garden chemicals | Product Care collection site | City Eco Centre or fire station HHW depot | Free |
| Motor oil, oil filters, oil containers, antifreeze | BC Used Oil Management Association return facility. Around 300 public sites province wide | City Eco Centre or fire station HHW depot | Free |
| Propane tanks and cylinders | Check Recyclepedia for your municipality. Many transfer stations and some retailers accept them | City Eco Centre or fire station HHW depot | Free in Calgary |
| Electronics, TVs, computers, small appliances | Return-It Electronics. Over 200 locations in BC | Alberta Recycling depot or City Eco Centre | Free |
| Car and truck tires, off rim | Participating retailers year round through Tire Stewardship BC. Up to four at a time | Alberta Recycling depot or Recycling Roundup event | Free |
| Car batteries, lead acid | Most auto parts and battery retailers. Confirm with Recyclepedia | City Eco Centre or fire station HHW depot | Free |
| Fluorescent tubes, CFLs, smoke alarms | Product Care collection site | City Eco Centre or fire station HHW depot | Free |
| Needles, sharps, expired medication | Most pharmacies take these back. Call yours first, or check Recyclepedia | Most pharmacies. Call yours first | Free |
| Ammunition, explosives, flares | Police non emergency line. Never a depot, never a bin | Police non emergency line | Call first |
| Asbestos or suspected asbestos | Licensed abatement contractor only. See the warning below | Licensed abatement contractor only | Paid, specialised |
| Unlabelled drums, unknown liquids | Do not move them. Call the RCBC hotline at 1 800 667 4321 | Do not move them. Call 311 | Call first |
This is the single most common thing people try to hand us, and the one with the easiest answer. Paint is a regulated flammable liquid, which is why transfer stations will not accept it and why it cannot ride in a truck with your furniture.
In British Columbia, you do not have to wait for a collection event, and you do not need a receipt for the paint you drop off.
Instead of recycling every drop, some Product Care depots run PaintShare: good, usable leftover paint that someone else dropped off is set aside for you to take home, completely free. Not every Product Care location participates, and Calgary and Alberta do not have an equivalent program.
To find your nearest PaintShare Depot, use the Product Care Search Tool and look for the same symbol shown above, a circular arrow wrapped around a paintbrush, underneath a depot's name. That marks it as a participating PaintShare location.
One exception: paint that has fully dried or solidified is no longer a liquid, and we can take those cans as regular solid waste. If you have half used cans and time, leaving the lids off in a ventilated space until they harden turns a trip across town into something we can handle on the same visit.
British Columbia has a dedicated return program with roughly 300 public collection facilities, run by the BC Used Oil Management Association. It covers used oil, oil filters, oil containers, antifreeze and antifreeze containers, all at no charge.
A propane tank in a truck full of wood and furniture is a genuine hazard, not a technicality. Calgary accepts them free at its household hazardous waste locations. In BC, acceptance varies by municipality, so use Recyclepedia rather than assuming.
Worth knowing because it is the one item on this list we can take. Televisions, computers and appliances are part of our regular service and our pricing page lists them. But if you are already driving, both provinces will take them free.
In BC you can drop off up to four off rim car or truck tires free at participating retailers, all year round. You do not need to wait for a collection event and you do not need to be buying new tires.
We can also take tires as part of a larger load, at 20 dollars each or 40 for oversized. That charge exists because the disposal fee is real, and it appears in your quote before you book.
If your home was built before 1990 in British Columbia, renovation debris can contain asbestos in insulation, floor tile, ceiling texture or drywall compound. Since 1 January 2024, employers who remove, repair, transport or dispose of material that may contain asbestos must be licensed by WorkSafeBC, and their workers must be certified.
Junk Moose does not remove asbestos or suspected asbestos. If you are clearing renovation debris from a building built before 1990, tell us when you request a quote so we can flag it early, a licensed abatement contractor is who should handle that material, not a junk removal crew.
When in doubt, tell us about the age of the building and what kind of material you need removed so we can help you figure out the right next step.
If your item is not on our list, check out these dedicated sites. They have the most current information for all types of materials.
Over 1,000 drop off locations for more than 70 materials, searchable by postal code. There is a web search, a phone app, and a real person on the phone.
rcbc.ca/recyclepedia
Recycling Hotline: 1 800 667 4321
Eleven free drop off locations across the city, three at landfill Eco Centres and eight at fire stations, with current hours and the full accepted materials list.
calgary.ca household hazardous waste
Or call 311
If the hazardous items are a small part of a much bigger pile, take those to the depot and let us handle everything else. Full price online, no visit first.
Three reasons. Paint is a regulated flammable liquid under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, so moving it commercially is not the same as putting a can in your own car. Landfills and transfer stations will not accept it, so a truck that collects it has nowhere legal to unload. And commercial liability policies commonly exclude pollution, which means a spill in your driveway would not be covered.
No. In British Columbia, Product Care accepts leftover paint, paint aerosols, flammable liquids and pesticides free. In Calgary, residential drop off at the eleven City household hazardous waste locations is free.
Yes. Once paint has fully dried or solidified it is no longer a liquid and the cans go out as regular solid waste, which we can take. If you have time before your pickup, leaving lids off in a ventilated space away from children and pets will harden the remainder.
Asbestos or suspected asbestos, liquid paint, chemicals and solvents, motor oil and antifreeze, propane tanks, car batteries, ammunition and explosives, medical waste and needles, biological waste, and unlabelled drums with unknown contents. Everything else on our services list is fair game, including furniture, mattresses, appliances, electronics, yard waste and renovation debris.
Free at any of the City of Calgary household hazardous waste locations, which include three Eco Centres at City landfills and eight depots at fire stations. Do not put it in a bin or a truck.
Do not move it and do not put it in a bag with other things. In British Columbia, call the RCBC Recycling Hotline at 1 800 667 4321. In Calgary, call 311. Both will identify it and tell you where it goes.
Programs, locations and hours were verified in July 2026 and are reviewed every six months. Regulations and depot hours do change, so confirm with the official locator before driving across town. If you find something on this page that is out of date, tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
