Waste collection changes just weeks away for Waterloo Region
Posted Feb 11, 2026 07:46:52 AM.
Last Updated Feb 11, 2026 10:07:42 AM.
Time is ticking down to March, with the region set to undergo a large shift in waste collection next month.
The transitions mainly centre on garbage and organic collection, with changes to black and green carts, as well as some shifts in recycling collection.
The Region of Waterloo is set to make the official collection change as of March 3, also switching to zone-based pick-ups rather than the municipality-specific collection like in the past.
It’s also set to come amidst some changes to the pick-up scheduling across the region.
“Garbage is bi-weekly, it remains the same as now. Organics, the green cart, is weekly, so we want to make sure residents are using it as much as they can,” said Olivia Kwok, Director of Waste Management with the Region of Waterloo. “The yard waste program remains bi-weekly in the spring to fall, and then bulky item collection is moving to monthly.”
To help with the shift to cart-based waste collection, the municipality has already handed out as many as 350,000 curbside carts to homes and residences, now in the midst of doing the same for eligible businesses within designated downtown areas as well.
While the frequency of those pickups will be changing in the region, along with the collection process, Kwok said it will be important for residents to take a keen look at the changes to their own pick-up schedule.
“They’ll be able to go on our website and get their new collection date,” Kwok said. “Then, our 2026 weekly collection calendar will start to be distributed by mail starting next week.”
With the change to scheduling, frequency, and zoning, Kwok said that the region will have all of its garbage and organics picked up throughout the first week of March. She said this would ensure that no residents would have to hold on to their waste for a prolonged period of time during the transition.
After that, the new pick-up dates and updated frequency will begin.
For anyone who has received their cart and is either unsure if the size will work for their residence or if they received the wrong-sized waste collection cart, Kwok said it may be worth giving it a try in the meantime.
“What we ask is that residents try the carts out for the first six months. If it’s not the right size for them, we’ll have a free exchange period in the fall,” Kwok stated. “If they did order a small garbage cart during the cart selection period and they received the wrong size cart, just contact the region through our email (carts@regionofwaterloo.ca) or contact our Service First Contact Centre.”
The full list of changes for garbage and organic cart collection can be found on the Region of Waterloo’s website.
Changes for blue bin collection frequency coming in March
There are also some changes when it comes to recycling and blue bins.
It comes after the Region of Waterloo previously handed the reins of blue bin collection to Circular Materials, the national non-profit, which has taken over recycling pick-ups throughout the year.
As of Jan. 1, Circular Materials was permitted to begin making changes to collection, previously announcing that it would be changing to bi-weekly, four-day-a-week blue bin pick-ups as of Mar. 3.
That schedule will alternate with the Region of Waterloo’s bi-weekly garbage collection schedule.
Similar to the region and its changes to waste collection, Circular Materials has helped to aid in the transition by doling out two additional blue bins to homes across Waterloo Region.
Previously, at the turn of the year, it also updated the list of what could be recycled in those bins, increasing what is permitted. That includes coffee cups, deodorant and toothpaste tubes, black plastic containers, frozen juice containers, and ice cream tubs.
The full list of changes to recycling pick-up can be found on Circular Materials’ website.
