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New recycling carts bring concerns for some Dufferin residents

January 8, 2026   ·   0 Comments

Written By JAMES MATTHEWS

Dufferin County residents will be able to recycle more materials than they’re used to starting this month.

And they’ll wheel those materials to the curb in new much larger blue carts that will be available in March. A full transition to the larger carts is expected by April.

The program has been taken over by an outfit called Circular Materials, a national non-profit organization. They’re responsible for the recycling of packaging and paper products.

Enhancements to recycling across Ontario entails a transition to a new extended producer responsibility (EPR) blue box recycling system, according to Circular Materials.

Under EPR, Ontario’s new recycling program will be fully funded and operated by producers of packaging and paper products.

Allen Langdon, the organization’s CEO, said EPR is recognized as an effective mechanism to improve recycling rates and advance a circular economy where materials are collected, recycled, and returned to producers for use as recycled content in new products and packaging.

“EPR will enable innovation, operational efficiencies, increased standard levels and access to materials,” he said in a press release.

For example, last year, Circular Materials launched a pilot project for recycling both hot and cold paper-based and plastic-lined beverage cups. It was the first step towards incorporating those materials in recycling systems this year.

That pilot has been progressing smoothly and successfully, according to a Circular Materials press release.

Early results from the pilot show an eight per cent increase in collected polycoated paperboard used in single-use beverage cups.

But coffee cups are just one of the new materials being accepted for recycling. Changes to the program will incorporate deodorant products, toothpaste tubes, ice cream tubs, black plastic containers, and frozen juice containers.

Previously, materials accepted for recycling varied among municipalities.

“Ontario residents will be able to recycle the same and even more materials no matter where they live across Ontario,” Langdon said. “This will make it easier for residents to recycle, improving recovery rates and benefitting both people and the environment.”

Inclusion of new materials has been lauded for how it extends producers’ responsibility and improves environmental outcomes.

But there’s been some concerns expressed about the 360-litre blue carts being somewhat cumbersome for some residents and business staff.

“I know there are concerns about the size of the new bins and how they may pose challenges for residents with limited space or mobility,” Orangeville Mayor Lisa Post said.

Post , who is also Dufferin County’s warden, said lobby efforts will continue to make available a smaller sized option to people who require it. Residents can access a smaller 240-litre cart by Jan. 15.

“That this transition is part of provincial legislation and decisions around cart size and design are made by the Producer Responsibility Organization, not by the County of Dufferin or the Town of Orangeville,” she said.

There’s also been concerned expressed about residents being limited in how much they can put to the curb for recycling. Materials that prevent the cart’s lid from closing will have to be held until the following week’s collection day.

There is also specifications in how the cart is to be parked and what a heavy snowfall may hinder adherence to those rules.

Mono Mayor John Creelman said on social media that, simply put, one size doesn’t fit all. He wondered how people living at the end of long rural driveways will cope with the new carts.

The timing of the program change has left little time for such transitional issues to be addressed.

“This can be changed by a regulation to give us more time to work out details and source a bin size that works for people and not simply for the contractor,” he said.

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