Ontario welcomes an enhanced Blue Box program, making recycling easier and saving communities more than $200 million in costs

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Additionally, by shifting financial responsibility to producers, EPR enables municipalities to redirect their budgets to other local initiatives. Under this new system, Ontario municipalities are collectively saving over $200 million in costs.

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The three-year transition to the new system began on July 1, 2023, with communities onboarding into the new program over time. As of January 1, 2026, 383 communities and 12 First Nations in Ontario will be fully transitioned to the EPR program.

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Advancing innovation: Expanded and unified material list

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Currently materials collected for recycling vary by community. On January 1, 2026, for the first time ever, a new province-wide EPR material list will apply in every community, no matter where you are in the province. This new unified material list in Ontario will eliminate confusion and make it easier for residents to recycle at home, improving recovery rates and benefiting both people and the environment.

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The new list also expands the items that can be recycled to include hot and cold beverage cups (coffee cups), black plastic containers, frozen juice containers, ice cream tubs, toothpaste tubes, deodorant and more.

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Overall, the new system means consistency and less guesswork in Ontario households – ensuring their recycling efforts are making a difference.

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What this means for you: Convenience and support for residents

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Circular Materials has been working with communities to deliver a smooth transition to the new system – ensuring that residents across the province benefit from the simpler and more convenient system that will improve recycling rates.

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Circular Materials’ community-specific webpages provide local collection schedules and service updates. Starting in 2026, a new recycling app will also be launched to give residents quick access to reminders, accepted material lists and alerts.

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Residents will also receive information through local updates as the new system rolls out. For any local service questions, a customer care line and email contact is available for each specific community.

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Looking ahead: Advancing a circular future

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As the EPR program in Ontario matures, Circular Materials is committed to investing in innovation and advancing the circular economy. Since the transition to EPR began, investments have been made in Ontario-based state-of-the-art local recycling facilities to recycle materials at scale and meet regulatory requirements.

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A recycling system under EPR regulation is about a fundamental rethinking of how we use everyday materials from beginning to end. In this way, Ontarians can become leaders in driving a circular economy for paper and packaging over the long term, for the benefit of people and the planet.

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To learn more about Ontario’s common collection system, and the advancements and changes to the recycling system across Ontario on January 1, 2026, please visit circularmaterials.ca/ON.

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