Blue Box Transition - Recycling

Starting January 1, 2026, Ontario will complete its transition to an enhanced recycling system where producers – those organizations that supply packaging and paper materials to residents – are 100% responsible for funding and managing the recycling program.

This new system is managed by Circular Materials, the administrator of the common collection system and a not-for profit organization that is committed to building efficient and effective recycling systems.

As part of this new recycling system, residents will be able to recycle more than ever before at the curb. Ontarians will also be able to recycle the same materials no matter where they are across the province – supporting consistency and making the program more accessible.
Learn more about Ontario’s upcoming recycling system.

Historically, Ontario’s blue box recycling programs were managed by communities
who were responsible for paying approximately half of the costs, with producers responsible for the other half.

Under the Blue Box Regulation, Ontario is introducing a new model where producers are 100% responsible for operating and funding the program.

As of January 2026, residents will be able recycle more than ever before at the curb, including hot and cold beverage cups, frozen juice containers, ice cream tubs, black plastic containers, deodorant, toothpaste tubes and more. Learn more about Ontario’s new recycling system.

Residents can visit circularmaterials.ca/recycleontario to learn about their local recycling program, including collection schedules, what can go in their recycling, customer service information, etc. On this page, residents can enter their community and access local recycling information, including customer service numbers and more.

In 2026, Circular Materials will also be releasing a recycling app, making it easy for residents to check their recycling collection schedule, see what materials are accepted, receive service alerts and more.

For general recycling questions, replacement bin requests, accommodation requests or missed collections, residents can contact their local collection contractor. Contact information for each community’s collection contractor is
listed on their dedicated community webpage at circularmaterials.ca/ON

If residents have concerns about contractor service, they can contact Circular
Materials at customerservice@circularmaterials.ca or 1-877-667-2626

If your office has questions related to the new recycling program, please contact
communications@circularmaterials.ca

Circular Materials aims to maintain and enhance recycling services that were provided prior to transition. Enhancements include residents being able to recycle more materials, and the same materials no matter where they are across Ontario.

Circular Materials is the administrator of Ontario’s common collection system, and
responsible for operating the new recycling system for blue box materials in 2026.
This includes enabling innovation, operational efficiencies, increased standard levels and access to materials. For example, last year, Circular Materials announced a pilot for the recycling of both hot and cold paper-based and plastic lined beverage cups at home and other eligible locations in Toronto. This pilot marked the first step towards incorporating these materials in recycling systems across all cities and communities in Ontario by 2026.

Circular Materials is committed to increasing recycling rates across Ontario and
ensuring more materials are looped into the circular economy, benefiting both
people and the environment.

Circular Materials, Ryse Solutions, Landbell Canada and EnvironFocus Incorporated are the producer responsibility organizations (PROs) that are operating Ontario’s new common collection system.

EPR is a framework in which producers – the businesses that supply paper and packaging to residents – are responsible for managing the end-of-life management of these materials. EPR enables innovation, operational efficiencies, increased standard levels, and access to materials.

Recycling programs founded on the principles of EPR improve recycling rates and
encourage the more efficient use of materials. Learn more here

Your residential recycling materials will still be picked up and removed. Beginning July 21, 2025, your collection day may change. Please find your collection day using this map. Click here to view the map.

All materials previously collected will continue to be collected. Visit the Circular Materials Ontario website to see the material that will and won’t be accepted.

Household waste (garbage) will not be affected by this change.

Things are a little different for industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) property owners. As of July 17, 2025, the onus will be on ICI locations to set up and cover costs for their own recycling systems by self-hauling recycling to a waste drop-off or obtaining private collection. Recycling can be dropped off at Madoc Landfill & Recycling Depots on Mondays, Wednesdays & Saturdays when they are open. 

Separate bins will be available to accommodate industrial, commercial and institutional property owners who will be responsible for the disposal of their recycling after July 17, 2025. 

ICI properties include:

• All private sector businesses
• Not-for -profit organizations
• Municipal buildings or facilities
• Daycares
• Places of worship
• Campgrounds and trailer parks (without permanent or seasonal households)
• Commercial farms

See below information regarding "Non-Eligible Properties"

Only eligible portions of mixed-use properties will have their recycling collected by E360 Solutions. For example, residential portions of a mixed-use building will be collected; however, commercial portions will need to take their recycling to the nearest municipal waste site or arrange for private pickup. Click here to see a diagram for more information.

In 2021, the Ontario government passed a new regulation that shifts the financial and operational responsibility of blue box recycling programs to producers – those that produce and supply blue box materials to residents. In this new extended producer responsibility framework, producers will become fully responsible for collecting and recycling blue box materials.

As a result, blue box recycling programs among local municipalities in the Quinte region will be managed by Circular Materials, which is the administrator of the common collection system and a not-for-profit organization that is committed to building an efficient and effective recycling system in Ontario.

Circular Materials selected E360 Solutions to provide ‘blue box’ recycling service to the Municipality of Centre Hastings.

Historically, Ontario’s blue box programs were operated by municipalities who were responsible for paying about half of the costs of the program, with producers responsible for the other half. Now, under the new blue box regulation, Ontario is transitioning to a new model where producers – the organizations that produce the products and packaging – are 100 per cent responsible for operating and funding the program.

Industrial, commercial, and institutional properties are considered non-eligible sources under the provincial blue box regulation (O.Reg. 391/21). As a result, municipalities would be responsible for paying 100 per cent of the costs of collecting blue box materials produced by ICI properties.

The Municipality of Centre Hastings decided in September 2024 not to assume responsibility for collecting recyclable material from non-eligible sources due to the high costs associated with such a program. Collecting this small amount of material would have a disproportionately high cost given the small quantity and that the sources are very wide spread across Centre Hastings. Council agreed to accept recyclable material from non-eligible sources at the municipal waste sites on Mondays, Wednesdays &Saturdays when they are open. As of July 2025, the Madoc waste site will be open on Wednesdays to receive this material.   

Circular Materials will begin managing blue box programming among local municipalities as of July 17, 2025.

The Municipality of Centre Hastings will begin opening up the Madoc Landfill & Recycling Depot to receive non-eligible recylcing material on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Saturdays beginning on June 18, 2025.

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a framework in which producers – the businesses that produce and supply paper and packaging to residents – are responsible for managing the end-of-life management of these materials. EPR enables innovation, operational efficiencies, increased standard levels, and access to materials. It is recognized as one of the most effective mechanisms to improve recycling rates.

EPR is recognized as one of the most effective mechanisms to improve recycling rates and advance a circular economy where materials are collected, recycled, and returned to producers for use as recycled content in new products and packaging. EPR creates a financial incentive for producers to reduce packaging and creates larger economies of scale for the collection and processing of recyclables.

The Municipality of Centre Hastings is writing to inform you of important changes to local recycling collection as a result of the Province of Ontario’s Blue Box Transition Program.

Effective July 17, 2025, recycling collection will no longer be provided to properties or organizations that have been deemed non-eligible under the provincial guidelines. This includes certain commercial, industrial, and institutional properties.

This change is part of a province-wide shift to a producer responsibility model for recycling. Under this new model, producers of packaging and printed paper will be responsible for the operation and funding of Blue Box programs. Please note that this decision was made by the Province of Ontario, not the Municipality of Centre Hastings.

As a result, your organization will be responsible for managing your own recycling. You have the following options:

• Arrange for private collection services through a waste management provider of your choice.
  
  
• Transport recyclable materials directly to the Municipality’s landfill site, where appropriate recycling bins are available.

We understand that this change may be inconvenient, and we encourage you to begin making arrangements in advance of the transition date to ensure there is no disruption in your recycling practices.

Additional information about the Blue Box Transition Program can be found on the Province of Ontario’s website or by visiting https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/210391

Blue Box Transition: Changes to Recycling Services for Non-Eligible Properties Letter