What to know

Ontario’s newly privatized recycling program faced a rocky start in Toronto, with many residents reporting missed recycling pickups that left materials piling up on sidewalks.

Circular Materials, which took over recycling collection on Jan. 1, says it is working with service provider GFL Environmental to complete all missed pickups by the end of the week.

The disruptions prompted frustration from residents and criticism from city councillors, including Josh Matlow, who called the situation unacceptable.

Circular Materials apologized for the inconvenience and said it is addressing early challenges as it rolls out recycling services across 395 Ontario communities.

Ontario’s newly privatized recycling program is reassuring residents that all missed pickups from last week will be completed by the end of this week, following widespread frustration over service disruptions.

Circular Materials, the private organization contracted to oversee recycling collection in Ontario, took over responsibility for Toronto’s curbside recycling as of Jan. 1, with GFL Environmental delivering the service.

However, the first week of pickup was far from smooth. Many Toronto residents reported that their recycling was not collected, leaving materials piling up on sidewalks across the city.

The disruptions sparked criticism from city councillors, including Josh Matlow, who spoke out on behalf of constituents and called the situation “unacceptable.”

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While the majority of issues occurred last week, social media posts suggest some Toronto communities also missed recycling pickups this week.

Although many residents are still waiting for their recycling to be collected, Circular Materials says all outstanding pickups will be completed by the end of the week.

“Our team has been working around the clock with our service provider, GFL Environmental, to ensure any missed residential pickup is addressed and will be collected by the end of this week,” the company said in a statement to Now Toronto.

Circular Materials apologized for the inconvenience and said it is continuing to work to resolve the disruptions.

“We understand how challenging service disruptions can be, particularly after the holidays. Our team and our partners also live in these communities,” the statement said. “We take this seriously and getting it right matters to us. While we’re proud of the progress so far, we know there is always work to do.”

Circular Materials was established to administer Ontario’s new, province-wide recycling program, an initiative intended to improve environmental outcomes and reduce costs for municipalities.

The company now oversees a network of collection partners serving 395 communities across Ontario. However, it remains unclear how many communities were affected by missed pickups or how many collections are still outstanding.

“Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through and resolve these early challenges,” the statement said.