The national not-for-profit organization tasked with operating Ontario's recycling program as of Jan. 1, 2026, has heard the concerns of Windsor-Essex residents.
Circular Materials says it will offer a smaller 240-litre recycling cart made available through a recycling cart exchange request form.
Residents were recently delivered a 95-gallon recycling cart with some raising concerns due to accessibility issues and others who cannot manage the oversized bin.
The mayors of Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Newmarket, and Stouffville publicly pushed back against Circular Materials and were successful in seeing an exchange program offered for their residents.
Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens also engaged in talks with the company raising concerns.
Allen Langdon, CEO Circular Materials, told AM800's The Shift with Patty Handysides, that the company hopes to have the Windsor-Essex exchange form live in the coming days.
"We're just asking for basic contact information so we can confirm the address and who we can contact and a phone number to make sure that we can schedule the exchange of the cart appropriately, but the form itself should be pretty easy to sign," he said.
Langdon said this process is expected to last into the new year.
"There is a backlog in terms of being able to obtain these carts. Hopefully we'll be able to address it in the next few or next couple months," said Langdon.
"We really encourage people to start using the carts. Once we've secured inventory to be able to do the swaps, we'll reach out to residents to let them know that we're ready and schedule a day or a time to drop off the cart."
The province-wide program will standardize what can be recycled and expands the list to include items such as black plastic, coffee cups, frozen juice containers, and deodorant tubes.
Langdon reminded residents that recycling is on a bi-weekly basis.
"All materials must be inside the cart for collection. All materials must be placed inside the cart if they want to be picked up, we will not be picking up material that's placed outside the recycling cart," he said.
Langdon said residents should have received their bins by now as deliveries had to completed by Christmas.
He added those who have not received their bin should contact Circular Materials online.
Under the new program, old bins, including Herby Curby bins, will no longer be collected.