TORONTO, Dec. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On January 1, 2026, Ontario’s three-year transition to extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging and paper products will be complete and households across the province will have a convenient and enhanced system that recycles more materials, more easily. Ontario’s new blue box recycling program is 100% funded by producers – the companies that supply packaging and paper products to consumers in Ontario, including the familiar brands and retailers Ontarians interact with every day. This means municipalities and taxpayers will no longer pay for recycling services as this cost will now be paid by producers.
Circular Materials, the common collection system administrator and not-for-profit organization responsible for managing Ontario’s new residential recycling system, is pleased to mark this significant milestone alongside producers, all levels of government, partners and stakeholders across the recycling sector. Circular Materials, Ryse Solutions, Landbell Canada and EnvironFocus Incorporated are the producer responsibility organizations that are operating Ontario’s new common collection system.
“January 1, 2026 marks a major milestone and step forward for recycling in Ontario,” said Allen Langdon, CEO of Circular Materials. “Ontario residents will now be able to recycle more materials than ever before at home and recycle the same materials no matter where they live across the province. This will make recycling easier for residents, improve recovery rates and help advance a circular economy in Ontario. By leaving the province and planet better than when we found it, we will leave a sustainable legacy that benefits generations to come.”
Shifting costs and accountability: A proven approach
The Province of Ontario released the Blue Box regulation in June 2021, shifting the financial and operational responsibility of recycling to the producers of packaging and paper products. The extended producer responsibility (EPR) model is recognized as one of the most effective mechanisms for improving recycling rates.
“By requiring producers to take full responsibility for operating and funding the residential Blue Box system, we are protecting Ontario with a stronger and more sustainable program that will help reduce waste and increase diversion, while reducing costs for municipalities. It will make recycling easier and more consistent, with a standardized and expanded list of materials that residents will be able to recycle in every community across Ontario,” said the Honourable Todd McCarthy, Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
EPR is a data-driven model with accountability and improved recovery targets at its foundation. Rooted in principles of continuous improvement, EPR enables operational efficiencies, drives recycling and packaging innovation, and creates stronger accountability and performance throughout the system.
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.
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.
Advancing innovation: Expanded and unified material list
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.
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.
Overall, the new system means consistency and less guesswork in Ontario households – ensuring their recycling efforts are making a difference.
What this means for you: Convenience and support for residents
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.
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.
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.
Looking ahead: Advancing a circular future
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.
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.
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.
Media Contact: [email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5fc58319-c954-4875-98e0-4400d18850ac
