London responds to provincial change that stripped small businesses and organizations of curbside blue box collection

City hall officials are responding to small businesses complaining after losing blue box collection. CTV London’s Daryl Newcombe has more.

City Hall won’t be stepping in to restore curbside blue box collection at 535 small businesses, churches, and non-profit organizations, but it is considering some new services for the impacted locations as it continues lobbying the provincial government to change a regulation that excludes non-residential materials.

An estimated 535 small businesses, churches, and non-profit organizations lost their curbside collection of recyclable materials when an Extended Producer-Responsibility (EPR) system was implemented across Ontario on Jan. 1, 2026.

On Monday, the Infrastructure and Corporate Services Committee (ICSC) considered a staff recommendation to launch a pilot project that allows recyclable materials to be dropped off at municipal EnviroDepots from qualifying small businesses and non-profits for free, and to implement a green bin curbside collection program to collect organic waste from eligible small businesses and non-profit locations.

“It’s hard to say no to what’s before us, but it’s really little more than nothing,” admitted Coun. Susan Stevenson.

“I don’t know how many businesses are going to be excited about driving out there to drop-off (recyclables).”

London operates three EnviroDepots:

• Clarke Road South EnviroDepot (28 Clarke Rd.)
• Oxford Street EnviroDepot (1450 Oxford St. W.)
• Clarke Road North EnviroDepot (21462 Clarke Rd.)

The cost to manage the additional recyclables at the EnviroDepots is estimated to range between $100,000 and $300,000 annually, but that’s based on all 2,100 eligible organizations and businesses participating.

Meanwhile, providing green bin collection to the 535 locations that lost blue box collection could be absorbed within the existing municipal budget.

“We have care and control over the contract for organics, so it’s well within our abilities to pick-up for those 535 businesses,” explained Shawna Chambers, Director of Climate Change, Environment and Solid Waste.

“It can just be implemented for those who are interested, they can reach out to us, and we’ll get them on board.”

City staff analyzed creating a parallel municipal blue box collection system that would serve small businesses, churches, and non-profit organizations but determined the cost would be too high.

“When we look at the magnitude of $1 million to $2 million to capture maybe 300 tonnes (of recyclables), that’s a lot of the reason why we’re not really recommending it for these very dispersed (locations),” Chambers told the committee.

Provincial regulations for the EPR blue box system only requires collection from eligible sources which includes residences, multi-residential buildings, schools, and non-profit long-term care and retirement homes.

Collection from non-eligible sources isn’t required and mixing materials from eligible and non-eligible sources is not permitted during collection.

“We’ve yet to be provided with any type of sort of rationale or justification from the province as to why that provision remains in the regulations, and that’s what’s causing the problem with us being able to pick these things up,” said Coun. Sam Trosow.

Mayor Josh Morgan suggests the simplest solution is for the province to change the regulation.

“Ultimately, the best solution here is that the trucks driving by make an extra stop and pick up some extra materials,” explained that mayor.

“Just as we were doing when we ran the service. So, I’m happy to engage in that advocacy.”

Members of ICSC supported to staff recommendation to implementing the pilot project for dropping off recyclables at EnviroDepots and for the expansion of the Green Bin Program.

They also expressed support for lobbying the province to make the regulatory changes.

“I understand that the initial response from the provinces was the regulation prohibits it, but regulations can change. And I think there’s a discussion to happen,” the mayor added.

Council will make a final decision at its meeting on April 28.