Big changes are coming to the longstanding Blue Bin recycling program. From January 1, 2026, Ontario is shifting its Blue Bin program from being run by cities and towns to being run by the producers of the packaging and products themselves (O. Reg. 391/21: Blue Box, Resource Recovery & Circular Economy Act). This is called Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) — meaning companies that make packaging now pay for recycling it, instead of municipal taxpayers.
What is EPR?
With EPR, Ontario is pushing for more consistent rules when it comes to recycling and packaging, hoping to standardize what’s collected across the province. Education and labels for what’s recyclable are expected to improve over time, eventually sending less waste to landfill.
Under this new program, producers are now responsible for tasks such as:
- Paying for recycling programs
- Organizing collection and processing recyclables
- Meeting recycling targets set by the province
- Educating residents on what can be recycled
- Improving packaging so it’s easier to recycle
Before EPR, cities were footing most of the recycling program costs, with much of that coming from property taxes. Over time, with plastic production increasing and recycling becoming more expensive, Ontario decided that the public shouldn’t be paying to recycle packaging made by private companies.
What is a Producer Exactly?
A producer is any organization that puts packaging or printed materials into Ontario’s recycling program. It can include:
- Brand owners (i.e. food, drink, and consumable product companies)
- Product importers
- Manufacturers and select retailers
With these new Blue Bin changes, producers will now be responsible for:
- Paying for recycling programs
- Meeting recycling targets, as set by the province
- Educating the public on what can be recycled
- Improving packaging for recycling efficiency
Who is Managing this New Program?
A non-profit private company called Circular Materials will manage curbside recycling collection and services on behalf of producers across the province. It will coordinate recycling collection, contracts, education, and reporting; essentially organizing the system producers now must run. While it isn’t a government department, it works with local contractors to make pickup happen.
Will My Facility be Affected?
Buildings with existing curbside collection will be impacted, including:
- Single-family homes and some multi-residential buildings
- Some mixed-use buildings
- Schools
- Some long-term care facilities and retirement homes
Changes to recycling collection will not apply to buildings that have existing private contracted recycling, including:
- Commercial buildings
- Most restaurants, stores, and shops
- City facilities (i.e. libraries and arenas)
- Religious organizations and charities (i.e. shelters and foodbanks)
Will What’s Accepted Change?
The new program will collect more materials, including ones deemed ‘not accepted’ before, such as:
- More plastic packaging (i.e. black plastic, deodorant and tooth paste tubes)
- More flexible packaging (i.e. juice pouches, wrappers)
- More food and beverage packaging (i.e. coffee cups, ice cream tubs and frozen juice containers)
End markets for these recycled materials are critical to making Ontario’s new program successful. After sorting and cleaning Blue Bin contents, Circular Materials ultimately need buyers for the recycled material to justify their processing costs.
For black plastic–a historically difficult-to-recycle product due to optical sorting restrictions–market demand remains limited. New technology has emerged to help with black plastic detection, from new black pigments, advanced hyperspectral imaging, and AI-assisted sorting. While companies like Ontario-based ReVital Polymers can process black plastic into pellets that are sold for automotive and furniture manufacturers, plastics typically have lower resale value compared to paper and metals.
While toothpaste tubes can be recycled under the new 2026 program, the process is more complex than for bottles or containers. Most tubes are made from multiple layers of plastic and aluminum fused together, so they can’t be easily separated into high-quality material. When recycled, tubes are collected, sorted (sometimes using manual methods), shredded, washed, and melted into a mixed-plastic resin. This recycled material is usually “downcycled” into products like plastic lumber, pallets, or waste bins rather than new toothpaste tubes. While it’s not perfect or highly efficient, recycling toothpaste tubes keeps them out of landfill and encourages companies to design better, more recyclable packaging.
How Does this Affect Me Personally?
For the public, you still put recycling at the curb according to the existing pick-up schedule. No additional costs will be incurred and service will remain the same. While changes may happen as the new program progresses, there isn’t anything to flag for now.
For missed collection and other service requests, you can call 1-888-921-2686 or visit Circular Materials.
How Can I Recycle Right?
Remember, recycling can be sustainable, but it isn’t a perfect or a complete solution on its own. For many years, Canada has exported a portion of its recyclable waste—especially plastics and mixed paper—to countries in the Global South (such as parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America). China’s 2018 ban on waste imports and the 2021 Basel Convention Plastic Waste Amendments forced Canada to rethink exporting recyclables.
The new Blue Bin changes are a starting point for Ontario to reduce plastic waste exports and improve domestic recycling. How sustainable recycling is depends on what’s being recycled, how and how often. Not all materials are infinitely recyclable as items like plastic degrade each time they’re processed for recycling. Collecting, sorting, and processing recyclables consumes energy while contamination (via food residue) can cause entire Blue Bins to be thrown away. If you’re looking to minimize your impact, consider reducing and reusing as the first step before relying on recycling.
Keep these tips in mind to support proper recycling at home and at the office:
- Placing clearly-labelled recycling bins where waste occurs (i.e. kitchen and office desks)
- Scraping leftovers and rinsing containers to reduce food and liquid residue
- Don’t wish-cycle (i.e. putting items into the recycling bin you hope are recyclable)
- Knowing your location’s rules (i.e. whether that’s at home or at the office)
- Avoid purchasing items with mixed materials (i.e. opt for an all-paper journal instead of a plastic covered journal)
- Reduce and reuse to avoid waste at the source
- Invest in occupant education to keep a culture of sustainability at your property
