ONTARIO WASTE COLLECTION CHANGES
On Nov. 4, 2025, Circular Materials released new details on the changes to curbside recycling in Waterloo Region. Circular Materials is the national not-for-profit which took over responsibility for managing recycling in the province in March 2024.
The changes are part of Ontario’s new recycling regulation that moves recycling programs to an extended producer responsibility (EPR) model. The new recycling program officially starts on Jan. 1, 2026 and is funded and operated by producers of packaging and paper products.
“The program takes the costs of and operational responsibility for blue box recycling away from taxpayers and municipalities. This means that residents will no longer be paying for recycling services as this cost will be borne by producers,” Jennifer Kerr, Director of Community and Media Relations at Circular Materials, said.
Under current recycling programs, each municipality decides what materials can be placed in blue bins. The change introduces a unified materials list that is the same across the province.
The new list includes previously unaccepted items, including hot and cold beverage cups, toothpaste tubes, black plastic containers and frozen juice containers. The complete list of materials is available on the Circular Materials website.
“The unified material list and new materials included are a great example of how extended producer responsibility advances innovation and improves environmental outcomes,” Kerr said.
March 2026 brings additional changes to curbside recycling. Recycling collection will shift to a bi-weekly, four-day schedule running Tuesday to Friday. To accommodate the change, Circular Materials is delivering two additional blue boxes to residents starting in January 2026.
“The new bi-weekly recycling schedule will alternate with the new bi-weekly garbage and organics collection schedule which is managed by the Region of Waterloo,” Kerr said.
While Circular Materials manages the program, each community is serviced by a different collection contractor. Miller Waste currently provides curbside collection in Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo.
Starting on Mar. 3, 2026, Miller Waste will provide collection service across all Waterloo Region communities, including North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich. Contact information for local collection services, along with the most up-to-date recycling details, is available at circularmaterials.ca/waterlooregion.
The move from municipally operated programs to a province-wide program is a major change. Kerr said the feedback from residents has mainly been on clarifying what the changes are.
“We appreciate residents’ and communities’ continued engagement and participation in recycling through this transition. Resident participation is vital to increasing recycling rates and advancing a more sustainable future,” Kerr said.
#AlexKinsella #Cambridge #CircularMaterials #jenniferKerr #kitchener #millerWaste #NorthDumfries #recycling #RegionOfWaterloo #waterloo #waterlooRegion #Wellesley #Wilmot #Woolwich
