Blue box changes in 2025

What are the blue box changes?

Starting on January 1, 2025, Waste Management Corporation of Canada (WM) will be collecting residential recycling and providing related customer service in Guelph.

What does this mean?

Residents should not see any disruption and should continue recycling as they do now, placing them in the same blue cart, bin, or recycling chute, and setting it out at the same place, on the same collection day, and by the same time (by 6:30 a.m., or 5 a.m. in the Downtown Collection Area). (Due to route adjustments by WM, your bin may be picked up at a different time of day on your same collection day than it is now.)

The City of Guelph will continue to collect garbage, organics, and yard waste as usual.

Why are these changes happening?

The Ontario government’s Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act’s Blue Box Regulation places full financial, operational, and performance accountability for the Blue Box program on producers of recyclable materials. This approach, called producer responsibility, already applies to products like tires, batteries, electrical and electronic equipment, and hazardous and special products like paints, pesticides, and antifreeze. Ontario’s Blue Box program is now administered by a new nonprofit organization, Circular Materials.

Producer responsibility creates a direct incentive to producers to reduce waste and improve recycling, which decreases natural resource extraction and pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2026, there will be two new enhancements to the provincial recycling system:

• Ontarians will be able to recycle more types of materials and this list of materials will be the same across Ontario for the first time.
• There will be free recycling collection for schools (public, separate, and private that teach Kindergarten to Grade 12), non-profit retirement and long-term care homes, and multi-residential properties (e.g., apartments and condos).

Who is responsible for blue box collection?

WM is hired by Circular Materials who operates the provincial recycling collection system on behalf of the companies that produce blue box materials sold in Ontario.

WM’s contact information will be posted here when it becomes available. WM will be available to answer all questions about blue carts or bins, including collection information, missed pickups, requests for repairs or new containers, information about what goes in the recycling, and any other questions.

Please continue to contact the City of Guelph about garbage, organics, yard waste, and other programs.

Waste Resource Innovation Centre

Customers can continue to bring the same blue box materials to the Waste Resource Innovation Centre public drop-off at 110 Dunlop Drive in 2025.

Multi-residential properties

Multi-residential properties are eligible for collection under producer responsibility. Changes will affect existing City customers, new builds, and those receiving private collection of their recycling differently.

Multi-residential properties receiving City service

Starting January 1, 2025, multi-residential properties that were already receiving City waste collection service will stop receiving City service for their recycling only. They will have their recycling serviced by WM through the producer responsibility program. The City will continue to collect garbage and organic waste.

Multi-residential properties that do not receive City service

Starting January 1, 2026, all existing multi-residential properties in the province, including those receiving private blue box collection, will become eligible for free blue box collection through the producer responsibility program. Information about how to register for recycling collection will be posted here once it is available. Property owners may still apply to the City to service their garbage and organics streams as outlined on our multi-residential waste collection page.

New multi-residential properties during transition

If a new multi-residential property opens in 2025 and applies for City garbage and organics collection, they are immediately eligible for service and do not need to wait until 2026. Property owners may apply as outlined on our multi-residential waste collection page.

Industrial, commercial, and institutional properties

Industrial, commercial, and institutional (IC&I) waste is regulated separately from residential waste in Ontario, and will not be served by Circular Materials as per the Government of Ontario’s regulation.

• For 2025: The City is making arrangements for recycling collection to continue for its IC&I customers. Any changes to how IC&I properties recycle will be communicated directly to customers and documented in this section of this webpage later this year.
• For 2026: Changes will come into effect for IC&I customers. A Council-approved user fee study is planned to determine how IC&I recycling may continue and how it can be fairly and sustainably funded. Staff will be engaging the community about this in early 2025.

Learn more about changes to waste collection for businesses.

Resources

• Blue Box Regulation
• Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act
• Strategy for a Waste Free Ontario: Building the Circular Economy
• Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority
• Circular Materials

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

• What changes are happening to blue box collection in Guelph?
  Starting January 2025, the City of Guelph will no longer be the ones collecting blue boxes. The Province has mandated that Producers of recyclable goods will be responsible for managing everything from curbside collection to processing.
• Who will manage the blue box collection system?
  The City will continue to manage garbage, organics, and yard waste collection. This includes curbside collection, the public drop-off, transfer station, and household hazardous waste drop-off.
• Will there be any changes to the level of blue box collection service?
  Residential customers should experience the same level of blue box collection service but may see future service changes determined by Waste Management.
• Who should I contact for questions about blue box collection?
  Inquiries about blue box collection should be directed to Waste Management. Their information will be posted shortly.
• Can I still contact the City about other waste management services?
  Yes, the community can continue contacting the City about curbside service for grey and green carts, yard waste, and any other questions about non-blue box waste management.

For more information

Solid Waste Resources
519-767-0598
TTY: 519-826-9771
[email protected]