Big recycling changes are coming to Windsor and Essex starting in 2026.
Circular Materials will be fully responsible for operating Ontario's new recycling system for packaging and paper products.
As part of these changes, Circular Materials will face producer responsibility of the blue box recycling system. Effective January 1, 2026, recycling will become a new single-stream recycling system.
Residents throughout the city and county will be able to combine all recyclables into one bin, rather than separating them. Under the new system, GFL Environmental will handle collection on behalf of Circular Materials.
Each home will receive a new 95 gallon bin over the next few weeks. In the city, collection of the new blue boxes will be bi-weekly, with weekly green bin pickup, and bi-weekly garbage pickup. In the county, the blue box will be collected bi-weekly, the green bin will be weekly pick-up, and garbage will remain weekly pickup for the time being.
In June 2021, the province released the Blue Box Regulation to shift the financial and operational responsibility of recycling from municipalities to the organizations that produce packaging, paper and packaging-like products.
Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens says your property taxes are no longer paying for recycling collection in Windsor-Essex.
"That cost has been shifted to the producers, the companies that actually sell products that you are putting when you open them, you take all the material and you put it in the recycling bin. Every one of those companies has to participate in the cost now of the recycling program."
He says everything can go in one bin starting January 1.
"Now this organization with the new tools, and the new technology, has the ability to put it all in one bin, and be able to separate when they get it to the recycling plant, so it does make it a little bit easier for all of us to be able to just throw all of that recycling in one bin."
Dilkens says Circular Materials are responsible for any issues moving forward, not the city or county.
"It is not the city or county politicians that are responsible, as of January 1, it is an entirely different organization. So we won't be able to resolve all the issues if there are any, we won't be able to resolve them all on your behalf because we're no longer the provider of that service."
Dilkens says the cost savings from the city no longer operating this specific collection will go towards the new green bin program.
Old bins will no longer be collected once the new system starts. Residents are being encouraged to use their old recycling boxes as storage around their home.
Paper, cardboard, newspapers, cartons, plastic and metal containers, and any glass bottles or jars will be accepted. Ceramics, toys, books, and diapers will not be accepted in this bin.
Circular Materials has denied an interview request.
-with files from AM800's The Shift with guest host Kyle Horner