Guelph residents will be able to recycle all types of packaging at their curbside starting January 1, 2026, under the final phase of Ontario’s move to a producer-led recycling system. The change means residents can toss items like flexible plastics, foam packaging and single-use cutlery and straws into their blue boxes, and the costs of collection and processing will shift from city taxes to the companies that make and sell the packaging.
Residents will continue using their existing blue boxes or carts. The city’s sorting facility, known as the Material Recovery Facility, will accept a wider array of materials paid for by producer fees instead of property taxes. According to the City of Guelph guide, items like chip bags, juice pouches and bubble wrap join paper, cardboard, glass and metal as accepted curbside materials.
The expanded program is managed by Circular Materials, a non-profit producer responsibility organization, which has contracted Waste Management of Canada Corp. to handle curbside pickups in Guelph. City staff estimate the new model will save Guelph about $1 million to $2 million each year in recycling costs. Those savings come from ending the historical 50/50 cost split between municipalities and producers and moving to a 100% producer-paid system.
City Council has updated local bylaws to align with the Ontario Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016, which mandates full producer responsibility for all packaging. Council’s Solid Waste Management Master Plan now focuses on oversight rather than direct funding. “Starting January 1, 2026, all households in Ontario will be able to recycle the same items – and even more things than before,” the city’s official statement said.
While homes and schools in Guelph fall under the new rules, small businesses and other non-residential sites downtown may still need separate arrangements. Council is reviewing a Downtown Waste Collection Study to decide if local fees or service contracts are needed for businesses that fall outside the provincial residential recycling mandate.
