With people spending far more time at home than normal, it can help motivate spring cleaning, but an important part is making sure anything that's leaving the house goes to its proper facility.

For Gateway Resources in Winkler, they've been seeing an increase in non-recyclables being left at their doorsteps.

"We have been seeing almost everything from old dressers to tires, diapers, carcasses of animals, a little bit of everything," says CEO Kim Nelson. "I recognize that right now people are cleaning out and there is not a place to take this, but we also cannot take any of that stuff."

Typical recyclables like cardboard boxes, aluminum cans, glass, papers, and the sort are always welcome and can find new life at the recycling centre.

They also take most plastics, except for CD cases (number three), individual yogurt containers (number six), or bubble wrap and similar plastics that often come with shipping.

"Ideally people will rinse everything out so when they are coming through we are keeping out recyclable material as clean as possible, especially with the current climate," Nelson adds.

It's not necessary but separating different materials before they enter the blue bin, like the paper wrapping from a can of soup, is helpful to the process. As well, holding onto items that can eventually go to a local thrift shop, or friendly neighbour, isn't a terrible idea.

Overall, she reminds locals that adding all the garbage and things that are not recyclable adds to the workload and to the contamination of all recyclable products. "It makes it so we can't recycle them."

For a full list of what can or cannot be recycled at their facilities, visit this link.