Big blue box collection changes coming in new year

With the province moving to a new recycling program in 2026, Circular Materials, the national not-for-profit organization behind the new system, is giving an update on what residents can expect.

In Waterloo Region, it means more bins are coming to front doors, and those bins will be collected less frequently in March 2026.

But more materials will be accepted at the curb.

Breaking it down month by month, this November marks the start of the education campaign on the changes.

“A Waterloo Region-specific promotion and education campaign begins in November 2025, featuring direct mail, digital updates and community outreach to keep residents informed about the new recycling system changes and benefits,” read a release from Circular Materials.

Jennifer Kerr with Circular Materials’ Community and Media Relations provided a regional committee with more details about the information campaign this week.

“We will use additional promotion and education tactics including: school recycling education programs, website education with locally tailored content and resident education, recycling guides and calendars, contests and incentive programs, social media and education, local events and activations, recycling apps for our schedules and materials.”

Come January, what residents can put in those blue bins will change.

No matter where you live in Ontario, everyone will be able to recycle items such as coffee cups, deodorant and toothpaste tubes, black plastic containers, frozen juice containers, and ice cream tubs.

The full list can be found here.

The first few months of the year will also see residents receive two additional blue bins, in preparation for less frequent curb collection. The regular collection day won’t change until March 3, 2026.

That is when blue box collection will shift to a bi-weekly, four-day-a-week schedule. That schedule will alternate with the Region of Waterloo’s bi-weekly garbage collection schedule, which, in March, will see the large green and black carts roll out.

The recycling program is not operated by the Region of Waterloo, and in the words of Circular Materials, “will be fully funded and operated by producers of packaging and paper products and not by taxpayers.”

Miller Waste will handle all blue box collection locally.