Windsor's mayor is expressing frustration over the lack of communication by the group that's taking over recycling collection across the region.
Drew Dilkens says this is a provincial change with recycling collection being taken out of the hands of municipalities, but they're getting the calls from people looking for answers about what's going on.
"I can't understand how those massive changes that have taken place across our entire province are void of any response from the provider that's taking over," he says. "They need to step up and give sensible answers to questions residents have who are just trying to figure out how to participate and deal with existing materials in a sensible way."
Circular Materials, a national not-for-profit organization, will begin collecting recycling from homes across the region as of January 1, 2026, as part of a new single-stream recycling collection system that will allow all recyclables to be put into one bin.
In early October, homes across Windsor-Essex began receiving a new 95-gallon automated cart for the system, but there had been little communication or advertisement about the program.
Dilkens says the problem they're having is that Circular Materials has been largely absent from responding to the questions people have.
"Which are really common sense questions. What do I do with the existing bin? What do I do if I'm a senior and I can't move the giant bin to the curb? How do I still participate? There are a number of questions. We need them to step up and perform their role, which is to answer those questions and provide clarity to the residents who are looking to be good citizens in terms of recycling," he says.
Dilkens says they all want to do the right thing and preserve the life of our existing landfill.
"The reality is that I'm trying to get answers to their questions, but I bet you if we put all 444 municipalities side-by-side, those questions and the list of those questions are probably almost the same," he says.
Residents have also voiced concerns because Circular Materials says only the new blue carts from GFL Environmental can be collected because they are the only ones that are compatible with the new automated cart collection system.
It means the existing bins used by homeowners, including Herby Curby bins, will no longer be collected once the new system starts.