Recycling Changes
New recycling carts are arriving in November. Please don't use these carts until January 2026.
Across Ontario, the Blue Box program is changing. Instead of municipalities managing recycling, companies that make recyclable products (the “producers”) will now be responsible for running and paying for the program. This is often called extended producer responsibility.
What This Means for You
- The Town’s current Blue Box collection service will end on December 30, 2025.
- Starting December 31, 2025, a new province-wide recycling program will take over. This program will be run by Circular Materials. Every household will receive a new 360-litre wheeled recycling cart in November 2025.
- You don’t need to request one—it will be delivered automatically starting the week of November 3, 2025.
- The Town has asked for a smaller cart option, but more details are not available yet.
- Residents should continue to use their Blue Boxes and transition to the recycling carts on December 31, 2025.
- Recycling collection will transition to be every other week starting December 31, 2025.
- After December 31, you are encouraged to reuse your Blue Boxes around your home. The Town is working with Circular Materials for alternative options for recycling unwanted Blue Boxes. Details will be provided once available.
Program Enhancements Coming in 2026
-
There will be an increased list of items accepted for recycling across all of Ontario. Learn more about items accepted in the new recycling program starting December 31, 2025 on the Circular Materials website.
- Items being added for recycling collection in 2026:
- Coffee cups and other plastic-lined paper beverage cups,
- Black plastic containers
- Frozen juice containers
- Ice cream tubs
- Deodorant
- Toothpaste tubes
-
Recycling collection will also be provided to:
-
Public and private schools (Kindergarten to Grade 12)
-
Non-profit retirement and long-term care homes
-
Multi-residential buildings (like apartments and condos)
-
Frequently Asked Questions
| How is the Blue Box program changing? |
|
Circular Materials (CM), a non-profit organization will oversee the collection of recyclable materials from homes, residential buildings, and the residential portions of mixed commercial and residential properties across Ontario. By January 1, 2026, all municipalities in Ontario will have fully transitioned to this new producer responsibility collection system, marking a significant shift toward greater accountability and sustainability in waste management. Effective December 31, 2025, CM will take over the delivery of residential recycling collection services currently managed by East Gwillimbury. The contractor responsible for recycling collection is Green For Life (GFL). East Gwillimbury continues to maintain responsibility for the curbside collection of:
|
| Why are these changes happening? |
|
The Government of Ontario introduced legislation that transforms the management and collection of Blue Box materials in the province. The Blue Box Regulation, enacted under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, is a cornerstone of Ontario’s Strategy for a Waste Free Ontario: Building the Circular Economy. This regulation shifts the current cost-sharing model, which divides expenses between municipal taxpayers and producers of Blue Box materials, to a new system where producers are fully responsible for funding, operating, and meeting performance targets for the recycling program. Producers will be accountable for collecting and recycling Blue Box materials, reporting to the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA), and achieving progressively higher recycling targets. By placing the full financial, operational, and performance responsibility on producers, this new approach creates a direct incentive to minimize waste and enhance recycling efforts, leading to reduced natural resource extraction, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. |
| What do I do with my old blue box? |
|
After December 31, 2025, you are encouraged to reuse your Blue Boxes around your home. They could be used for storage, transferring recycling from inside the home to the recycling cart, and so much more. The Town is working with Circular Materials for alternative options for recycling unwanted Blue Boxes. Details will be provided once available. |
| Where do I store my recycling cart? |
| Recycling carts can be stored in your garage, beside the house, or wherever they make sense for you. Recycling carts cannot be stored curbside and must only be placed out on your scheduled collection day. |
| Are there different sized recycling carts? |
|
The Town has asked for a smaller cart option, but more details are not available yet. For further information call GFL at N6Recycling@gflenv.com. |
| Can I use my Blue Box instead? |
| Effective December 31, 2025, Blue Boxes will no longer be accepted for curbside collection in East Gwillimbury. |
| What do I do with recycling that won’t fit inside my recycling cart? |
| All recyclable materials for collection must be placed inside the recycling cart. For further information on this, please visit the Circular Materials website. |
| What to do if you have accessibility concerns or require assistance? |
|
GFL will be working with residents to make any necessary provisions on a case-by-case basis. If you have an inquiry regarding the use of recycling carts or require assistance, please contact GFL at N6Recycling@gflenv.com. |
| Is there a limit to how many carts I can put out for collection? |
| For further information on this, please visit the Circular Materials website. |
| Who do I call if my cart is broken or needs replacing? |
| Call GFL at 1-833-779-4351 or email N6Recycling@gflenv.com |
| What can be collected as recycling now? |
|
There will be an increased list of items accepted for recycling across all of Ontario. Learn more about items accepted in the new recycling program starting December 31, 2025 on the Circular Materials website. |
| What about Industrial, Commercial and Institutional customers? |
|
In Ontario, Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (IC&I) waste is regulated separately from residential waste. Producers are not responsible for the collection or management of Blue Box material from the following ‘non-eligible’ sources:
For properties that have both residential and commercial units, producers are only required to collect from those units that are defined as an eligible source. Effective January 1, 2026, the Town’s recycling collection program for IC&I locations will be discontinued, and these properties will need to make alternate arrangements as they will not be serviced by Circular Materials as per the Ontario Government’s regulation. Garbage and organics collection will not be affected. As of January 1, 2026, all municipalities, including East Gwillimbury, will no longer manage recycling services and are not obligated to do so under the new Blue Box regulation. The potential costs to the Town to continue to provide recycling collection services to IC&I properties (non-eligible sources) would be significantly higher than current rates, adding a significant cost to taxpayers. Non-eligible sources represent a small fraction (1%) of total properties that receive recycling collection provided by the Town. |
Public Information Centre
EG hosted a Public Information Centre (PIC) on September 17 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the EG Civic Centre regarding Waste Collection changes in EG. The September 17 presentation slides are also available for review.
Contact Us
Green For Life (GFL)
Telephone 1-833-779-4351
Email GFL
Contact Us
Our Customer Service Team is here to help!
