The City of Toronto soon won’t be responsible for residential recycling. Here is what you need to know.

Officials with the City of Toronto discuss how recycling in the city will change on January 1, 2026, and how it will impact residents.

Starting in the New Year, the City of Toronto will no longer be responsible for residential recycling as it transitions to a new provincewide system.

Here is what you need to know about the new recycling program:

Who will run it?

Circular Materials will be responsible for the management of residential recycling around the province, including in the City of Toronto. Green For Life (GFL) has been contracted out to do recycling pickup in the city.

When does the change take effect?

Jan. 1, 2026.

What day will my recycling be collected?

The day of recycling collection will remain the same for all residents.

How will this impact garbage and organic waste collection?

The City of Toronto will still be responsible for the collection of garbage, as well as gray and green bins.

How will commercial buildings and city-run facilities be impacted?

The change does not apply to city facilities, commercial locations, charities, or religious organizations.

Will I receive a new bin?

No. You can continue to use the bin you already have.

Who do I call if I have issues with collection?

Residents will no longer be able to contact 311 for issues with their recycling bins or missed collection. Torontonians can contact Circular Materials at 1-888-921-2686 for any problems that arise with their recycling bins or collection.

What materials will be accepted?

The same materials will be accepted with the addition of a few new items, including black plastic, toothpaste tubes, and deodorant containers. A full list can be found on Circular Materials’ website.

Will this result in any cost-savings for the City of Toronto?

An annual cost savings of about $10 million is expected, Matt Keliher, Toronto’s general manager of Solid Waste Management Services, said. That money, he said, is being used to offset rate hikes.

In 2025, the city saw a 3.75 per cent rate increase for Solid Waste Management Services and Keliher that $10 million would offset about three per cent.

Will any City of Toronto employees be laid off as a result of the move?

Keliher said positions that would have been lost with the change have been repurposed. The city previously contracted out litter vacuum services for street cleaning but will now shift to an in-house model, allocating the recycling collection jobs to carry out those services.

Are there any concerns about the change?

Coun. Paula Fletcher, chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee, said she is concerned about maintaining current service levels.

She noted that last year, nearly 24,000 calls were made to 311 about issues with blue bin pickups.

“My one concern about that is right now, for our 311 service, you can send it any time, you can call it overnight. It is 24/7…As I understand it, the calls to this number is a 9-5 operation,” she said.

“We know that in January in that busy time after Christmas, there will be a lot of calls about recycling, and when your phone lines are shut down at five o’clock, that is going to be very frustrating.”

She said the city will likely make a request in the future to extend the hours that residents can call the company.

“What we are really hoping to say to the new provider is please, please meet the levels of service that we have given to our residents here in the City of Toronto,” Fletcher said.

“We loved our recycling program. We are sad to see it go.”