‘Can’t be good’: Southeast Calgary residents anxious over garbage, dust from recycling plant

A giant pile of garbage can be seen in a parking lot next to Calgary's Ecco Recycling facility in the southeast. Area residents say the city told the facility to stop, but it's still collecting material.

Those living in several southeast Calgary neighbourhoods are concerned about an increased volume of dust and garbage blowing toward their homes from a nearby recycling plant.

They’re worried that the situation could get worse because Ecco Recycling, the facility’s operator, is still accepting trash, without a permit and against an order from the city.

“It’s a major concern for the communities of Douglasdale and Riverbend,” said Darwin Flathers, who lives in the area.

“As you can see here, it’s a continued operation. We do not know what is happening other than it can’t be good.”

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According to the neighbourhood’s landowner association, Ecco’s development permit says that no material should be accepted at its landfill as of the end of 2024.

CTV News has reached out to Ecco Recycling to confirm and for a comment on this story.

However, residents say garbage is still coming and Ecco is stacking it up in an adjacent parking lot.

They’re concerned that the uncovered waste, which includes woodchips, plastic and other material, could be swept toward businesses in the community, including two daycares.

Flathers says the City of Calgary told Ecco to cease operations, but the company appealed to the Land and Property Rights Tribunal.

That panel upheld the city’s order in June 2025, but the company has since been dumping material into the adjacent lot without a permit.