Beginning January 1, 2026, the responsibility for Ontario’s Blue Box Program will shift from municipalities to producers (the companies that supply packaging and paper products). As part of this transition, all residential recycling programs across the province will follow one standardized list of accepted materials. Circular Materials is the organization that will oversee residential curbside recycling collection and processing across the province.
What does this mean for Middlesex Centre Residents?
Residents won't notice many changes to their recycling service:
- Bluewater Recycling Association (BRA) will continue to collect your waste and recycling. You will continue to contact them for questions about missed collection, replacement wheelie bins, or what materials are accepted.
- Your collection day will remain the same. You can view your schedule on the BRA website or through the Bluewater Recycling mobile app, which can also send you helpful reminder alerts.
- You will be able to recycle some new items in your blue bin, including coffee cups, Styrofoam trays and take‑out containers, chip bags, and milk and juice cartons. See the updated Accepted Residential Recyclables hand-out for more information.
You can find all this information in the hand-out attached below. If you are on Facebook, BRA has been sharing updates on the new items that you can include in your recycling, which you might find helpful.
What does this mean for commercial businesses?
BRA will be contacting commercial businesses directly about how these changes affect their recycling collection schedule. Please contact BRA directly if you have any questions.