Ontario residents will soon be able to toss a wider range of household items into their blue bins, as the province prepares to roll out a standardized recycling system on January 1, 2026.
Circular Materials, the non-profit that administers Ontario’s new producer-led recycling program, announced that coffee cups, deodorant containers, toothpaste tubes, ice cream tubs, black plastic containers, and frozen juice canisters will all be accepted at the curb starting next year. The expansion will also introduce a provincewide standardized material list, ending the current patchwork where accepted items vary from city to city.
The shift comes under Ontario’s extended producer responsibility framework, which makes packaging and paper producers—not municipalities—responsible for funding and operating recycling programs. Materials collected will be returned to producers for reuse in new products and packaging, with the goal of boosting recovery rates and advancing a circular economy.
Circular Materials piloted the new system in Toronto last year, testing collection of plastic-lined beverage cups. The trial showed an eight per cent increase in recovered polycoated paperboard, the material that makes up most single-use cups. “This will make it easier for residents to recycle, improving recovery rates and benefitting both people and the environment,” said Circular Materials CEO Allen Langdon.
But environmental groups are raising concerns. The Toronto Environmental Alliance warned that residents will no longer be able to call 311 for recycling-related issues after January 2026, and will instead be directed to Circular Materials. Meanwhile, Environmental Defence is pressing the province to expand deposit-return programs beyond alcohol to include water and soft drink containers, arguing that curbside recycling fails to capture enough bottles and cans. In Ontario, less than 50 per cent of non-alcoholic beverage containers are collected for recycling, compared to 80 per cent in provinces with deposit-return systems.
Hazardous materials like batteries will remain banned from blue boxes, as they can spark fires and endanger workers. Instead, Ontarians are urged to use the Recycle Your Batteries program, which offers nearly 15,000 drop-off locations across Canada. To improve recycling outcomes, residents are also reminded to rinse and dry containers before tossing them in the bin.
While critics want stronger policies to tackle beverage container waste, officials say the coming changes are a significant step toward reducing confusion and waste. A provincewide campaign will roll out this fall with more details on the enhanced system.