Ontario’s new residential recycling operator, Circular Materials, is under review after announcing it will not collect overflow recycling left in blue bags beside bins in some communities. The Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority, the provincial regulator for recycling, says it is actively engaged with the company to ensure compliance with the Blue Box Regulation.
Circular Materials, a national not-for-profit that began running curbside recycling under the producer-funded program on Jan. 1, has sent differing messages to municipalities and residents about when and where overflow bags will be accepted. The inconsistency has prompted criticism from municipal leaders and concern among residents used to leaving extra recycling in blue bags.
What changed on Jan. 1
The province’s shift to a producer-funded recycling system transferred administration of residential curbside collection to Circular Materials at the start of the year. Under the Blue Box Regulation, collectors are required to "collect, in a single day, all blue box material set out for curbside collection at the residence."
Since taking over, Circular Materials has informed some municipalities that automated cart collection systems will require all recycling to be placed loose inside the provided bin, and that items left outside the bin, including blue bags, will not be collected.
Inconsistent notices and municipal pushback
Peel Region homeowners received notices indicating their communities will be affected by the change. Mississauga councillors and the mayor said messages from Circular Materials have shifted and left residents unclear about rules and timing for pickups.
This has made it very challenging for residents. There’s no clarity on the rules in terms of what is recyclable and what isn’t, which are going to be picked up, when are the bins going to be picked up, can you still have bags picked up?
Mississauga Councillor Alvin Tedjo
Councillor Dipika Damerla said Circular Materials initially indicated it would not pick up overflow at all, then extended acceptance until March 1, and later moved that date to the end of May. She urged the company to continue pickup of overflow permanently and warned that making recycling harder could push residents toward dumping recyclables in the garbage or public spaces.
Originally, they said they won’t pick it up at all. Then they said they would till March 1 and now they extended that till the end of May, which gives us some time to work with Circular Materials to find a way because people with overflow recycling need a solution.
Mississauga Councillor Dipika Damerla
Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish described the rollout as rough and said city staff were inundated with complaints after Circular Materials’ launch.
We can only assume the Circular Materials supervision team is on a learning curve and will improve. What is important now is to have a contact number and sufficient folks to take the numerous complaints calls we were inundated with.
Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish
Regulatory review and Circular Materials’ response
The Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority told CTV News Toronto its compliance team is working with Circular Materials to "understand their operational plans" and to ensure the company fulfils all Blue Box requirements. The regulator did not outline potential enforcement steps in its statement.
RPRA’s Compliance Team is actively engaged with Circular Materials to understand their operational plans to provide curbside recycling collection services across the province and to ensure they understand and fulfill all of the requirements of the Blue Box Regulation.
RPRA spokesperson
Circular Materials’ CEO Allen Langdon told CTV News Toronto that some communities use automated cart collection systems that require material to be placed inside the provided bin, and that guidance has been communicated directly to residents in affected areas.
This includes not leaving extra materials outside of the bin. This is only the case in some communities in Ontario, and further details and instructions are communicated directly with residents in these communities.
Allen Langdon, CEO, Circular Materials
What residents should do now
- Check municipal websites and your mail for community-specific instructions from Circular Materials.
- If you have overflow recycling, place it loose in your bin where possible to reduce risk of non-collection.
- Keep records of missed pickups and communication with the collector and your municipality.
- Contact your city councillor or local waste services to report gaps in service or inconsistent guidance.
Municipal leaders are pressing for consistent service levels across the region. Until the regulator completes its review and Circular Materials finalises operational details, residents in different municipalities may see different rules about overflow pickup.
The RPRA review is ongoing. Municipalities and the recycler will need to clarify service standards and communication so residents understand how to set out recyclables and avoid uncollected waste.
