New year, new rules: Changes coming to blue box recycling in 2026

Starting Jan. 1 more items will be accepted in blue bins across Simcoe County.

Changes are coming to how households recycle. Come the new year, recycling across Simcoe County and Muskoka will get a little easier, and a little broader.

A province-wide shift means residents can soon toss even more everyday items into their blue boxes, helping keep more waste out of our landfills.

The change comes as part of Ontario’s transition to extended producer responsibility, or EPR — a system that makes the companies that create packaging responsible for funding and managing its recycling.

For Simcoe County residents, the switch will be seamless: same schedule, same blue boxes, same routine. The only visible change will be the new collection contractor, Emterra, which will take over local recycling pickup.

What residents will notice, though, is an expanded list of materials accepted in the blue box.

For the first time, Ontarians will be able to recycle the same materials across every municipality.

Starting January 1, the list of what can go in the blue box will include:

• Black plastic containers, which were previously too difficult to process.
• Hot and cold drink cups, such as takeout coffee cups.
• Frozen juice containers and ice cream tubs.
• Deodorant and toothpaste tubes, now accepted thanks to new sorting technology.

Circular Materials says for residents of Barrie, Muskoka, and the surrounding municipalities, including Bradford West Gwillimbury, Collingwood, Midland, Oro-Medonte, Penetanguishene, collection schedules will remain unchanged.