What to know
Circular Materials took over Ontario’s recycling program on Jan. 1, with GFL Environmental now handling blue bin pickup in Toronto.
Thousands of Toronto residents reported missed recycling collections in early January, with bins left uncollected for days in some neighbourhoods.
Premier Doug Ford blamed a rocky transition and communication issues with the City of Toronto, saying only roughly 2,000 collection stops were missed.
While Ford called the problems temporary “kinks,” city councillors have criticized the privatized rollout and are demanding accountability as cleanup continues.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is defending Circular Materials, the company now responsible for recycling pickup across the province, after thousands of Toronto residents reported missed collections just days into the private company taking over the responsibility from the city.
At Queen’s Park on Tuesday, Ford acknowledged the messy transition, but attributed many of the missed pickups to communication issues between the City of Toronto and the new service provider.
“[Toronto] didn’t give – they forgot about 2,000 residents,” Ford said to reporters, later clarifying that he meant 2,000 collection stops, some of which include large condo buildings with dozens of residents. He added that the city also changed pickup dates during the transition and left it to Circular Materials to communicate those changes.
“When you try to make a transition that quickly… you’re going to have a few kinks,” Ford said, adding that contractors like waste company GFL Environmental are still achieving a “98 to 99 per cent pickup rate.” He said provincial officials are meeting with Circular Materials and service providers and is “confident” the issues will be resolved within the next week or two.
Circular Materials, a national non-profit, took over responsibility for Ontario’s recycling system on Jan. 1. In Toronto, recycling collection is being handled by GFL Environmental, meaning that the city is no longer in control over blue bin pickup.
The rollout, however, has been rocky. Residents across multiple Toronto neighbourhoods reported recycling piling up on curbsides well past the scheduled collection day on Jan. 2, with some saying they were unsure who to contact for help.
Ward 12–St. Paul’s Councillor Josh Matlow has been among the most vocal critics of the missed pickups, calling the situation “completely unacceptable,” and calling out the Ford government’s decision to privatize recycling services. Last Thursday, Circular Materials told Now Toronto that all missed pickups would be completed by the end of the week.
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Meanwhile, Ford framed the transition as a financial win for municipalities, noting that the province shifted full responsibility for recycling costs from a 50-50 split between municipalities and producers to being entirely producer-funded.
“No good deed goes unpunished,” Ford said, adding that municipalities that are skeptical of the program could choose to resume paying their share and manage recycling themselves. “Thank God we uploaded it, because it saves taxpayers tons of money in all municipalities, across all 444 municipalities in Ontario.”