Multi-residential waste collection

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Joining the program

If you live in an apartment, condominium, townhome or multiplex (like a duplex, triplex, 4-plex, etc.) please contact your property owner or manager to ask if or when they plan to consider using Guelph’s three-stream waste collection program. The City provides free organics and garbage collection and helps arrange recycling by others for properties committed to sorting waste into three streams.

Here’s how multi-residential property managers or owners can participate in the City of Guelph’s municipal waste collection services:

Contact us and arrange a site visit to make sure the waste collection access point and process is suitable and safe for City crews collecting garbage and organics.
At this stage, we’ll also support you in arranging recycling collection, either through Circular Materials if your property is eligible, or through a group contract.
Submit a waste management plan for approval
Sign an agreement to allow the City to collect waste at your property
Get insurance for collection on private property
Distribute a letter, educational materials and promotional supplies to residents to introduce the program
Sort waste into three-streams (organics, recyclables and garbage)

Blue box transition

Ontario has transitioned all municipal blue box recycling programs to a new collection model called producer responsibility. Under producer responsibility, the companies that produce blue box materials fund Circular Materials, an organization that operates the recycling system on their behalf. For more information, visit our Blue Box transition webpage.

Due to amendments to the original Blue Box Regulation, Circular Materials is now responsible for collecting recycling from all multi-residential properties by 2031, however many properties are eligible for service earlier:

All multi-residential properties, including multiplexes, with five or fewer units are eligible for free recycling from Circular Materials.
Townhouses, stacked townhouses or row houses with six or more units may also be eligible for free recycling collection from Circular Materials if one of the following applies:
- Each unit receives curbside garbage collection from the City of Guelph, or
- The building uses a common collection point where residents drop off their waste and from which the City of Guelph collects garbage.
Multi-residential properties with six or more units (excluding townhouses, stacked townhouses or row houses) that did not receive recycling collection by the City of Guelph before 2025 are eligible for free recycling from Circular Materials starting January 1, 2031.
New multi-residential properties with six or more units (excluding townhouses, stacked townhouses or row houses) that become occupied after 2025 are eligible for free recycling from Circular Materials starting January 1, 2031.
Multi-residential properties with six or more units that received recycling collection from the City of Guelph before 2025 became eligible to transition to Circular Materials collection on January 1, 2025.
New multi-residential properties with six or more units that became occupied during 2025 became eligible to transition to Circular Materials collection on January 1, 2025.

Multi-residential properties can still get City garbage and organics collection – even if they don’t qualify for free recycling collection from Circular Materials. The City can assist multi-residential properties that don’t qualify for free recycling from Circular Materials in accessing competitive pricing for recycling pickup through a group contract.

Resources

Blue box changes

For more information

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

Guelph Waste app

Use the Guelph Waste app to sign up for email or phone reminders about your waste collection schedule.

Download the free mobile app for Apple or Google devices.