What Has Changed?
Residential recycling collection in Simcoe County is now managed by Circular Materials, a not-for-profit organization appointed by producers under Ontario’s new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework.
This province-wide transition shifts responsibility for the collection and processing of blue box materials from municipalities to producers of recyclable products. The County of Simcoe continues to manage garbage and organics collection, as well as operate waste-drop off facilities as usual.
What to Expect
Same collection day, different trucks and collection times
- Your recycling will still be collected on the same day and using the same carts. The only difference is that it will be picked up by new trucks operated by Emterra Environmental Inc. (Emterra), on behalf of Circular Materials. Garbage and organics will continue to be collected by Miller Waste on behalf of the County.
- Recycling and organics continues to be collected on the same day but handled by separate trucks from different contractors, meaning that collection may occur at different times due to distinct routing schedules.
- To ensure all materials are collected, on your collection weeks please place recycling and/or garbage and/or organics at the curb by 7 a.m. (or 6 a.m. in some downtown cores) on your scheduled collection day. Collection schedules will remain the same with garbage and recycling alternating weeks and organics collected weekly.
New contact for recycling inquiries
- For questions related to recycling, such as collection schedules, missed pickups or cart repairs, please contact Emterra directly by phone at 1-888-597-1541 or customercareont@emterra.ca
New material to be accepted
- Under the new recycling system, Ontarians will be able to recycle the same materials curbside province-wide, with additional items being added to the program. Visit circularmaterials.ca/simcoe for updates on accepted materials.
Transfer station updates
- Recycling drop-off at County transfer stations will include a disposal fee as of January 1, 2026, as the County will no longer receive provincial funding to offset net recycling costs. As of January 1, 2026 there will be a $10 minimum charge for recycling at a rate of $200/tonne. Click here to learn more about the new rates.
Important Notice for Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Properties
Effective January 1, 2026, the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks and the local Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) have determined that recycling from industrial, commercial and institutional properties, including small businesses, churches, not-for-profit organizations and similar entities, will no longer be eligible for curbside collection through the new Provincial contractor.
Please note: This change is not a decision made by the County or your local municipality. Local officials had advocated for and hoped these properties would remain included in the Province-wide curbside collection program.
Frequently Asked Questions
This transition is part of Ontario’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program, which shifts responsibility for recycling from municipalities to the producers of packaging and printed paper. The goal is to create a more consistent and efficient recycling system across the province.
Once the change is implemented, there will be a standardization of what is accepted in recycling programs across the province. Producer responsibility also creates an incentive to producers to reduce waste, innovate packaging, and improve recycling.
Circular Materials is a national not-for-profit organization building an efficient and effective recycling systems where materials are collected, recycled, and returned back to producers to use as recycled content in new packaging and paper.
As the administrator of Ontario’s common collection system, Circular Materials is responsible for operating the new system for blue box materials. Circular Materials is also a PRO or producer responsibility organization established by producers to manage residential recycling services under Ontario’s new EPR framework.
No, your collection day and carts will remain the same. However, recycling will be collected by Emterra trucks, while garbage and organics will be collected separately by Miller Waste trucks. Emterra and Miller Waste trucks will not be following the same routes as previously, so we recommend having all wastes out for collection your scheduled day by 7:00 a.m. (6:00 a.m. in some downtown cores). Collection schedules will remain the same with garbage and recycling alternating weeks and organics collected weekly.
Under the new system, recycling is managed by Emterra, on behalf of Circular Materials, while garbage and organics will still be collected by Miller Waste, on behalf of the County. Recycling and organics will continue to be collected the same day but will have different contractors and routes, which may result in different pickup times.
Yes, while most materials will remain the same, the new system will eventually allow for more items to be recycled curbside across Ontario. Circular Materials will provide updates on newly accepted materials at circularmaterials.ca/simcoe
Inquiries about recycling such as schedule information, missed pickups, and requests for repairs or new carts should be directed to Emterra at 1-888-597-1541 or customercareont@emterra.ca. Garbage and organics inquiries will still be handled by the County of Simcoe or through their Simcoe County Collects app.
If your recycling is missed, contact Emterra directly at 1-888-597-1541 or customercareont@emterra.ca. Please note that collection of recycling may occur before or after organics is picked up.
Yes, you can continue to use the Simcoe County Collects app for garbage and organics. Circular Materials will be launching a recycling-specific app in 2026. Click here to learn more.
Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (IC&I) properties will no longer receive curbside recycling collection. This includes:
- Small businesses
- Churches and places of worship
- Municipal buildings
- Food banks
- Most not-for-profits
- Daycares
- Campgrounds without permanent households
For more details, please click here.
Since 2024 the County has received a subsidy to fully cover recycling costs, meaning residents didn’t pay for recycling through County taxes and residential recycling was free at our facilities. However, this subsidy is ending as of January 1, 2026. As a result, the County will now need to cover the full cost of receiving, transferring, hauling and processing recyclable materials at waste drop-off depots (similar to other waste materials like wood and garbage except that the cost of managing recycling is significantly higher than most other materials). This will result in new costs to the County that could lead to tipping fees for recycling at our waste depots and may have budget implications that affect future tax rates.
In November, County Council approved tipping fee increases which included $200 per tonne for recycling with a $10 minimum charge. This will be effective as of January 1, 2026.
This change is due to the County no longer receiving funding for recycling collection at our waste facilities. As a result, the County must now cover the costs of hauling and processing this material. The fee will apply to all residents who currently receive curbside recycling collection services, as well as to ‘non-eligible’ sources under the regulation, which include all industrial, commercial and institutional properties.
In accordance with Council’s decision, the fee will be implemented on January 1, 2026.
*PLEASE NOTE* Residential recycling drop-off fees have been temporarily waived from January 9 to January 31, 2026 to ease the recycling transition. Only Simcoe County residents can drop off recycling materials free of charge until January 31. Businesses and institutions will still need to pay fees at waste transfer stations.
