What to know

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, the City of Toronto will no longer manage blue bin recycling, with private organization Circular Materials taking over.

Circular Materials states that the shift will save municipalities more than $200 million by holding producers fully responsible for the cost and operation of recycling programs.

The new system will introduce a unified recycling list across Ontario, expand accepted materials, and launch a recycling app to help residents track what to recycle and when.

The new year is set to bring changes to Toronto, with a new blue bin system taking over the city that promises to reduce costs for the municipality and make recycling easier with a new app. 

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, the City of Toronto will no longer be in charge of managing recyclables, as the blue bins system will be taken over by not-for-profit organization Circular Materials. 

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The change comes after the Ontario government introduced legislation ordering a province-wide transition to full Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), a system that shifts the responsibility of recycling to the companies that supply packaging and paper products to consumers. 

Circular Materials tells Now Toronto that the move will save municipalities over $200 million, as it will also shift the costs of managing the blue bins program to producers. 

“Under the previous program, municipalities were responsible for funding 50 per cent of Ontario’s residential blue box recycling, with producers paying the other 50 per cent, and municipalities were responsible for operating the recycling program,” Circular Materials CEO Allen Langdon said in an email to Now Toronto. 

“Under EPR, producers are now 100 per cent financially and operationally responsible for the blue box recycling, shifting responsibility away from municipalities. Under this new system, Ontario municipalities are collectively saving over $200 million in costs,” he added. 

EXPANDED MATERIAL LIST AND NEW APP

In addition to saving municipalities money, the new system also promises to make it easier and more convenient for residents to recycle, launching a unified material list for all municipalities in Ontario. 

The list also includes new materials that will be accepted into the blue bin, including: 

Deodorant

Toothpaste tubes

Ice cream tubs

Hot and cold beverage containers

Black plastics. 

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“This new unified material list in Ontario will reduce confusion, make it easier and more convenient for residents to recycle, improve recovery rates and benefit both people and the environment,” Langdon said.

Moreover, Circular Materials is also launching a new recycling app starting in the new year, which the company says will make things easier for residents, by giving them access to information and resources regarding the blue bin, including: 

Information on what materials can be recycled

Local recycling schedule

Service alerts and reminders

The app will officially be available in 2026, and can be downloaded at the Circular Materials website.