If council approves staff recommendation, county could trim operating budget by at least $430,000 next year
Editor’s note: The County of Simcoe does not oversee waste collection in the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia.
Simcoe County staff are recommending an end to recycling subsidies for multi-residential properties starting in 2027, citing changes to Ontario’s blue-box system and the shift of recycling costs to producers.
Under the proposal, the county would continue offering a garbage‑collection subsidy to eligible multi-residential buildings, but only if they participate in both organics and recycling diversion.
With producers now responsible for the province’s residential recycling system, county staff argue that continuing to subsidize recycling for privately serviced buildings would shift costs unfairly onto local taxpayers.
According to a report presented at Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting, multi-residential buildings can already sign up for a free “recycling pass” through the county’s agreement with Circular Materials, which is the not‑for‑profit organization overseeing Ontario’s move to producer‑run recycling and is responsible for managing collection, processing and overall system performance.
The pass allows properties to drop off recycling at county waste facilities at no cost. Circular Materials reimburses the county for site use and covers the transfer and processing of the material.
The county has also begun onboarding buildings into the multi-residential organics program.
The report notes that about 74 per cent of units that received the waste subsidy in 2025 have either been approved for municipal organics collection, arranged their own private organics service or submitted an application.
Six properties, with a total of 197 units, have declined service and will no longer receive the subsidy, while 67 properties totalling 2,083 units have not yet applied.
In 2025, the county spent roughly $860,000 on the waste subsidy, including $430,000 for recycling. Staff say eliminating the recycling portion would reduce the 2027 operating budget by at least that amount, with further savings possible if more properties opt out of the program.
Staff also acknowledged county council’s frustration with the provincial system, which does not currently provide curbside recycling for multi-residential buildings.
The report notes the province has moved ahead with what’s called Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and county staff maintain producers should provide recycling service in the “same or similar manner” to what properties received before 2026.
Staff say they intend to continue advocating for changes to the Blue Box Regulation that would allow multi-residential properties to receive curbside recycling sooner than 2031.
The report also warns that without requiring proof of organics and recycling diversion, the county could end up subsidizing garbage that should be diverted instead.
Council approved the recommendation in principle, however it must still be formally ratified at a future meeting before any changes take effect.