Changes coming to recycling collection
Under the Blue Box Regulations, Ontario is changing the responsibility for recycling to producers rather than municipalities. Residential recycling programs in Ontario are moving to a new collection system that is fully funded and operated by producers of recycling materials. This shift to a framework called extended producer responsibility becomes effective in Loyalist Township on July 1, 2025. The new collection system will make recycling easier by standardizing what can be recycled across Ontario.
What does this mean for Loyalist residents?
Your residential curbside recycling will still be collected and removed. All materials previously collected will continue to be collected. It is possible more material types may be included in future by Circular Materials.
Waste Connections will continue to handle the garbage collection. Emterra Group has been contracted by Circular Materials to handle the recycling from July 1, 2025.
Timeline
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January 1 to June 30, 2025
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Loyalist continues to manage all garbage and recycling.
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July 1 to December 31, 2025
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Business Owners will need to set up their own collection agreements directly with contractors.
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Mainland curbside blue box recycling collection services will remain unchanged.
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Amherst Island residents should continue to drop off recycling at the Amherst Island waste management site where signage will be updated.
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January 1, 2026 onwards
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Circular Materials will take full responsibility for recycling collection and management and may introduce some changes to the program.
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How will this affect me?
| Residents that receive curbside blue box collection |
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July 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025 Your curbside blue box recycling services will remain unchanged. Collection dates and acceptable materials will stay the same, but separate contractors will handle garbage and recycling collection starting July 1, 2025. Circular Materials has awarded the contract for Loyalist Township collection to Emterra Group.
January 1, 2026 – July 1, 2026 Curbside collection of Garbage and Recycling will continue to be provided by Waste Connections. Information on the Blue Box transition will be provided though municipally managed social media sites, our Loyalist Township garbage and recycling webpage, the Recycle Coach app, Engage Loyalist, and on an information pamphlet included with the Q1 Tax notice. Starting January 1, 2026 Circular Materials will take full responsibility for recycling collection and management and may introduce some changes to the program. After January 1, 2026 You will still have access to the app, Recycle Coach, where you will find information on scheduled collection days, service disruptions and acceptable recycling materials including any updates on acceptable recycling materials provided by Circular Materials. We will continue to manage all other notifications on the Recycle Coach app. |
| Industrial, Commercial, or Institutional (ICI) Business Owners |
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As of July 1, 2025, ICI businesses will no longer qualify for blue box recycling services provided by Circular Materials or Loyalist Township as per O. Reg. 391/21: BLUE BOX and Council Resolution 2024-127, "Blue Box Transition - Non-Eligible Sources,". Letters have been sent to affected businesses with further details. If you believe you received this letter in error or have not received a letter, please contact Loyalist Township for clarification. ICI businesses will continue to have access to recycling options, although they will be required to set up collection agreements with private contractors. Below is a list including some of the contracts offering collection services for ICI businesses: The collection and management of recycling for municipally owned and operated facilities will continue under a separate private contract. A limited number of ICI businesses that received collection service prior to 2025, will continue to have garbage collection provided by Loyalist Township. We would like to remind qualifying ICI businesses that it is important to divert recycling materials from landfills. Co-mingled garbage and recycling will be refused at pickup. Repeat offenders may be asked to coordinate separate garbage collection contracts. |
| Amherst Island residents using the waste/recycling depot |
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January 1, 2025 – July 1, 2025 Updated signage and a more comprehensive list of acceptable materials will be developed and installed. The focus will be on enhancing your experience and providing a functional site layout that works for you. We also plan to roll out a site plan to help you become more familiar with how your waste is being sorted. You'll have access to this from July 1, 2025. July 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025 You may continue to drop off your recycling materials at the Amherst Island waste management facility. The list of accepted materials and the number of streams will remain the same. Updated signage and onsite guidance will be available. The Emterra Circular Materials contractor will manage different bins on-site effective July 1, 2025. Starting January 1, 2026 Circular Materials will assume responsibility for the collection of bins onsite and the management of recycling materials offsite. Our staff will continue to manage operations onsite, including both garbage and recycling. Changes to the acceptable number and types of recycling material may be adopted by the program. After January 1, 2026 You'll still have access to Recycle Coach where you'll find hours of operation, service disruptions, and acceptable recycling materials, including any updates on acceptable recycling materials provided by Circular Materials. We will continue to manage all other notifications on Recycle Coach. |
FAQs
| What will stay the same? |
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| What will change? |
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| When will the recycling transition happen? |
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July 1, 2025 |
| Why is the recycling program changing? |
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Historically, Ontario’s blue box programs were operated by municipalities who were responsible for paying about half of the costs of the program, with producers responsible for the other half. Now, under the current version of the Blue Box Regulations, Ontario is transitioning to a new model where producers – the organizations that produce the products and packaging – are 100% responsible for operating and funding the program. |
| Do I have to replace the recycling bins I already have? |
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| Where do I get new or replacement recycling bins? |
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| What about the Recycle Coach app? |
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Circular Materials and Loyalist Township will be using the same app platform, Recycle Coach, to provide updates and information on collection times, dates, materials, and any delays. We have an information-sharing agreement in place, so we will be able to provide seamless updates to you through an app that is already familiar and in use by many of you. (If you haven't downloaded it yet, please take advantage of the convenience it gives you. You can download from the various APP stores or via the links on our Recycling page) |
| What advantages does the new system have? |
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Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR, is recognized as one of the most effective mechanisms to improve recycling rates. It helps advance a circular economy where materials are collected, recycled, and returned to producers for use as recycled content in new products and packaging. |
| What is a circular economy? |
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Ontario is moving from a linear economy to a circular economy. In a linear economy, natural resources are extracted, manufactured into products, consumed and then thrown away. In a circular economy, products and packaging are designed to minimize waste and then be recovered, reused, recycled and reintegrated back into production. Some great articles about this approach can be found on the RPRA website. |
| How will the Township ensure recycling isn't mixed with garbage? |
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Regular Inspection and Audits will help us determine the composition of garbage and help us make more informed discussions. Education Campaigns will help us keep you informed about options for diversion and recycling as they become available. Education will also reinforce the importance of proper waste management techniques. Penalties for Non-Compliance may be included in a review of our current waste by-law for those who regularly fail to separate their recycling from waste. |
| Does this mean our taxes won't include recycling costs in future? |
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Not exactly. While it may seem like the cost of recycling is being transferred to producers and removed from the consumer, there is still a cost to the Township. Municipalities themselves are producers of recyclable materials and must pay fees to have these materials collected and managed under the Blue Box Regulation. Examples of materials we produce include:
We pay fees to the RPRA for reporting this material and Fees to a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) for the collection and management of these materials. Additionally, we are still responsible for managing a separate contract for the collection of our recycling material at Township owned and operated facilities as we fall under the (ICI) Industrial, Commercial or Institutional property owners Non-eligible sources for recycling collection. Without subsidization from Stewardship fees, we rely on tax revenue to pay for these costs. |
| How is the Township reducing fees associated with the recycling it produces? |
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While the Township is required to pay fees for the materials we produce and provide to our community, there is always room for improvement and even some cost savings along the way. By moving more of our communications to a digital platform and offering more resources online, Loyalist can shift from a paper-based model to a more efficient digital platform, providing quick and easy access to information such as calendars, guides, notices, and tax statements. That said, we won't do away with paper entirely. In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, we will continue to provide copies of many Township documents in paper format to ensure everyone has equal access to information. |
| What is a circular economy? |
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Ontario is moving from a linear economy to a circular economy. In a linear economy, natural resources are extracted, manufactured into products, consumed and then thrown away. In a circular economy, products and packaging are designed to minimize waste and then be recovered, reused, recycled and reintegrated back into production. Some great articles about this approach can be found on the RPRA website. |
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What is the EPR model? |
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The Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR, model shifts responsibility for the collection, processing, and recycling of blue box materials to the producers – the companies that supply these materials to you. This change is part of Ontario’s new Blue Box Regulation, passed in 2021, which takes effect over a transition period between 2023 and 2026. Loyalist Township has been directed to adopt this model by July 1, 2025. |
| What is a PRO? |
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A Producer Responsibility Organization, or PRO, is a business established to contract with producers to help them meet their regulatory obligations under the Blue Box Regulation. |
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What is the RPRA? |
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The RPRA, or Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority, is the regulator mandated by the Government of Ontario to enforce the province's circular economy laws. |
If you have other questions you can Engage Loyalist on the Recycling Transition - Circular Materials Ontario topic or email the Public Works Technical Supervisor
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