Ontario’s Blue Box program recently went through a major change. The residential recycling program now operates under a system called extended producer responsibility (EPR), where the companies that make packaging and paper products are responsible for recycling them.

Before the change, municipalities provided Blue Box collection services and paid for roughly half of the program. Under EPR, producers must fully arrange and pay for the system – from picking up your recyclables at the curb to ensuring they’re recycled and, where possible, made into new items.

Blue Box materials continue to be collected directly from residences across the province, but here are a few of the key changes to take note of:

• Program operator: Municipalities no longer provide Blue Box collection services. The program is now administered by a company called, Circular Materials. If you’re looking for information about collection in your area (e.g., pick-⁠up times, bin replacement), please visit the Circular Materials website and type in your community’s name.
• More items to recycle: Additional items, like black plastic, toothpaste tubes, ice cream tubs and coffee cups, can be recycled through your Blue Box.
• Consistent recycling: You can now recycle the same materials in all cities across the province.

You can’t recycle things like batteries and lightbulbs in your Blue Box, but you can make sure they’re reused, recycled or safely disposed of by dropping them off to one of many collection locations across Ontario.

These locations include retailers, municipally run sites, and pop-⁠up events. Learn what types of materials can be dropped off for free at a location near you.

For answers to other frequently asked questions about the Blue Box program, read our FAQs