Blue box pick up moves to every 2 weeks next March in Waterloo region as recycling program revamped

Residents in Waterloo region will get their recycling picked up every other week starting in March 2026.

Regional councillors heard about changes to the blue box program during a committee meeting. Jennifer Kerr is the director of media for Circular Materials, the not-for-profit producer that oversees recycling pick-up for the province.

“On March 3, collection shifts to a bi-weekly, four-day schedule, the opposite week of your garbage collection,” Kerr said during a presentation. “To support the frequency of change, residents will receive two additional boxes starting mid-January.”

Residents won’t have to pay for the new additional recycling bins and Kerr said they can be “nested” to save space.

Kerr said they’re letting residents know about the changes now they can be prepared next March.

Also starting on March 3, Miller Waste in Cambridge will handle all blue box collection in the region. If people determine they don’t need extra blue boxes, people can drop the boxes off at Miller Waste at their location on Eagle Street in Cambridge, Kerr said.

The changes to the blue box program are coming at a time when residents in Waterloo region will also be changing to garbage and organic carts in March. The region is responsible for garbage and organic carts. 

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Starting in March 2026, people in Waterloo region will use a new cart-based program to collect organics and garbage. CBC K-W’s Joe Pavia spoke with Olivia Kwok, the region’s manager of waste collection and diversion, about how the new black and green carts will work.Changes across the province

Allen Langdon, CEO of Circular Materials, said provincially, there are changes coming as of January 1, including new items that can be placed in a blue bin.

“We’re going to be expanding the materials that can be included in the blue box, including hot and cold beverage cups, deodorant packaging, toothpaste tubes, ice cream tubs, black plastic containers, and frozen juice containers,” he said.

“All of those, plus whatever is currently accepted, will be accepted province wide starting January 1.”

He noted the new unified and expanded list means the same products will be recyclable no matter where people are in the province.