Residents in Tillsonburg are being reminded that empty alcohol cans and bottles are no longer accepted in curbside blue recycling bins. This change follows a province-wide transition that moved responsibility for recycling collection from municipalities to a producer-funded non-profit organization called Circular Materials.
As of January 1, 2026, the new system mandates that all alcohol containers must be returned to The Beer Store in accordance with the Ontario Deposit Return Program. While the new rules prohibit alcohol containers from blue bins, Allen Langdon, the CEO of Circular Materials, has indicated that recycling collection services will not reject bins that still contain them. However, residents are asked to use the deposit return program for these items going forward.
This update is part of a broader provincial effort under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act. The government aims to shift the cost and management of recycling onto packaging producers, a move expected to save municipalities across Ontario more than $200 million. In Tillsonburg, recycling collection remains a weekly service, occurring on Tuesdays or Wednesdays depending on the specific area of town.
Although alcohol containers are now excluded, the updated recycling program has expanded the list of materials that residents can put in their bins. Local households can now recycle items such as black plastic containers, beverage cups, deodorant tubes, and flexible plastic packaging. For any questions regarding local pickup, residents can contact the collection service provider, Emterra Environmental, at 1-888-597-1541 or by email at [email protected].
