Changes are coming to recycling in the City of Toronto, and preliminary preparations begin in May.
Starting in 2026, the City will no longer be collecting recycling or be responsible for blue bins. Instead, recycling service provider Circular Materials, a “not-for-profit producer responsibility organization,” will take over collection and other related services. This includes missed collections and bin repairs.
The City says the move is in accordance with a provincial regulation put in place in 2021. It requires that producers of materials that need to go into the blue bin be “fully financially and operationally responsible for providing recycling services to residential locations, schools, long-term care facilities and retirement homes.”
The City will continue to collect and manage recycling materials from commercial locations, charities, institutions and religious organizations and city divisions and agencies.
As of late May, stickers will be applied to blue bins at all residential locations to display contact information for Circular Materials.
The City will send information to residents about when and where blue bins are being stickered via mail approximately two weeks beforehand.
Once they receive a notice in the mail, residents are asked to leave their blue bin at their regular collection location, on their regularly scheduled collection day, until 7 p.m. The City asks that residents continue to do this until their bins have been stickered.
Sticker pickup schedules for the four city collection districts to roll out May 20
- District 4 – May 2025: Between Steeles Ave. to the north and Lake Ontario to the south; Victoria Park to the west and Pickering town line to the east. (Stickering is expected to take four to six weeks)
- District 3 – July 2025: Between Steeles Ave. to the north and Lake Ontario to the south; Yonge St. to the west and Victoria Park to the east.
- District 2 – August 2025: Between Steeles Ave. W. to the north and Lake Ontario to the south; Humber River to the west and Yonge St. to the east.
- District 1 – September 2025: Between Steeles Ave. W. to the north and Lake Ontario to the south; west of the Humber river.
The City lists a number of benefits of the new model, known as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), including cost savings for the City.
In addition, they say that when producers take over recycling entirely in 2026, what materials are accepted in blue bins will be standardized across the province. Plus, more waste will potentially be diverted from landfills, which might spur a reduction and innovation in packaging materials.
The new model will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. Until Dec. 31, 2025, there will be no changes to the current recycling routine. Residents should continue to contact 311 for any service requests.
