Ontario to update Blue Box recycling program

Ontario plans to update regulations for its Blue Box recycling program. According to a statement on the Ontario government’s website, the proposed regulations include expanding the items that can be recycled and making producers of products and packaging responsible for the waste they create.

The new updated program will:

• standardize and increase the list of materials accepted in the Blue Box, including paper and plastic cups, wraps, foils, trays and bags as well as other single-use items such as stir sticks, straws, cutlery and plates;
• transition the costs of the program away from municipal taxpayers by making the producers of products and packaging fully responsible for costs, resulting in an estimated savings of $135 million annually for municipalities;
• expand Blue Box services to more communities, such as smaller, rural and remote communities, including those with less than 5,000 people; and
• set some of the highest diversion targets for the various categories of waste producers are expected to recycle such as paper, glass, beverage containers and rigid flexible plastic.

According to the statement on the Ontario government’s website, the province is expanding its Blue Box services to facilities such as apartment buildings, long-term care homes, schools and municipal parks in 2026 to provide more opportunities to recycle and keep communities clean. The provincial government’s website states that the proposed Blue Box regulation draft will be posted for 45 days for public feedback, ending Dec. 2.

“We’re creating a stronger and more effective Blue Box program that actually works,” says Jeff Yurek, minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for Ontario. “By harnessing the innovation and ingenuity of industry and expanding recycling opportunities for people and businesses across the province, we can divert more waste away from landfills by finding new purposes for products and reinserting them back into the economy.”