Ontario residents could face new limits on recycling collection if the provincial government moves ahead with proposed changes to its Blue Box program.
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government → face → program
The Star reported Tuesday that Doug Ford’s government is proposing legislative amendments aimed at reining in the ballooning costs of Ontario’s privatized recycling program, following Circular Materials’ takeover of municipal recycling services at the beginning of the year.
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government → report → year
Here’s what you need to know about the proposed changes, why the government may pursue them, and how they could affect you.
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they → ’ → you
What would change?
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What → change → ?
Under the new rules, the province would eliminate curbside pickup for flexible plastics, which are soft, bendable packaging materials, such as dry-cleaning, bread and newspaper bags, as well as coffee bags, chip bags, bubble wrap, snack wrappers and plastic gift bags.
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which → eliminate → cleaning
Ontario would also end the requirement to collect overflow recycling in bales or bags.
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Ontario → end → bales
While residents can currently request an additional Blue Bin if their existing one cannot hold all their recyclables, the proposed changes would end home delivery of extra bins, except for residents with accessibility needs or those without access to depot collection.
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changes → request → collection
The Ford government may announce the proposed legislative changes this week, according to a technical briefing document the Star obtained.
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Star → announce → document
The province is also threatening to replace Circular Materials, which began running the provincial recycling program on behalf of retailers on Jan. 1, with a new administrator.
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which → threaten → administrator
Ontario began transitioning to an extended producer responsibility system in 2021, shifting full responsibility for the cost and administration of recycling from municipalities to companies that produce or supply household packaging and products made of glass, plastic, metal and paper.
Circular Materials is one of four “producer responsibility organizations” (PROs) operating in Ontario that provide recycling services to brands and manufacturers while serving as the provincewide administrator.
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that → begin → administrator
Why is the Ontario government proposing the changes?
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government → propose → changes
Rising costs facing the Blue Box program are the main driver behind the Ontario government’s proposed changes.
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costs → rise → changes
The Retail Council of Canada estimated in 2025 that Ontario’s Blue Box recycling program would cost companies $740 million to operate in 2026, nearly four times what they paid before the transition to privatized recycling began in 2023.
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transition → estimate → 2023
The retail council argues those costs will be passed on to consumers, and an Ontario family could pay $212 more for groceries a year.
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family → argue → groceries
The council attributed the staggering cost increase to inefficiencies in Ontario’s model, which allows multiple PROs to operate in competition, resulting in duplicate administrative and operational functions.
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PROs → attribute → functions
Environmental consultants say the increased cost is the result of macro pressures during the transition, including high inflation, potential tariffs, supply chain bottlenecks, and persistent labour shortages.
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cost → say → inflation
How will the changes affect residents?
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changes → affect → residents
Andrew Pothier, who lives in a four-person household in east Scarborough, said he opposes the proposed changes, fearing they could lead to more recyclable materials ending up in landfills, harming the environment.
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materials → live → environment
Eliminating overflow recycling collection could leave residents with little choice but to take excess recyclables to a waste depot or toss them in the garbage, he said.
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he → eliminate → garbage
“A lot of people have smaller homes.
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lot → have → homes
They can’t just keep their extra recycling for a week,” said Pothier.
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Pothier → keep → week
Pothier also questioned why the proposed changes appear to run counter to the original goal of the new Blue Box program, which was intended to divert more waste from landfills by expanding the list of accepted materials to include items such as hot and cold beverage cups and frozen juice containers.
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which → question → cups
Earlier this year, Circular Materials planned to stop collecting overflow recycling left in bags beside blue bins in some communities starting March 1, but put the plan on hold after the provincial recycling regulator intervened.
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regulator → plan → hold
“This does not encourage people to recycle — they’ll throw it in their fireplace if they have one, or find other ways of disposing of this stuff.
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they → encourage → stuff
That’s not what all this (system change) is intended to do.
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change → ’ → what
It’s supposed to cause more recycling, not less,” former Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish told the Star at the time.
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Parrish → suppose → time
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