Change is coming to how recycling is handled across Ontario — and it will be felt right at our doorsteps. Beginning January 1, 2026, the Province is transitioning East Gwillimbury to a new Blue Box program that’s being rolled out province-wide.

This change is part of a provincial shift to a producer-led responsibility model, where producers — not municipalities — will fully fund and operate the recycling program. This means the Town does not control the size of the bins, the timing of delivery, or the operational decisions tied to the program.

However, that doesn’t mean your voice doesn’t matter. In fact — it matters now more than ever.

🟦 What’s Changing

  • New Blue Boxes will be delivered to homes in East Gwillimbury between November and December 2025.
  • On December 31, 2025, the current shared-responsibility recycling program officially transitions to the new provincial system.
  • In 2026, the Blue Box program will expand to include a standardized list of accepted materials across Ontario — meaning the same rules apply province-wide.

You can learn more about the provincial program at www.circularmaterials.ca/ON.

🏡 Advocating for East Gwillimbury Residents

While we can’t stop this program’s rollout, we can push for improvements that make sense for our community.

As part of the Northern Six York Region Municipalities, East Gwillimbury has formally requested that smaller blue bin sizes be made available to residents.

Why?

  • Many of our residents have tight driveways and smaller garage spaces.
  • We want to make it easier for residents of all ages and abilities to move their bins to the curb.
  • Accessibility, practicality, and choice matter — and our community shouldn’t be left with a one-size-fits-all solution.

It has also been requested to have an option to return or recycle the old blue bins, so they don’t end up creating unnecessary waste in the process of making this change.

🧭 Your Voice Matters

While this is a provincial decision, local advocacy still counts. Municipalities like East Gwillimbury can — and should — push for improvements that reflect the reality of life in our community.

We need to be building the East Gwillimbury we want — before others build it for us.

That means:
✅ Speaking up to help support improvements to provincial programs that better reflect our community’s needs.
âś… Working together as local municipalities to push for practical options.
âś… Ensuring residents have a voice through their elected officials.

This is exactly the kind of issue where local voices make a difference. Even though the municipality can’t control the provincial rollout, we can hopefully influence what comes next.

📢 If you have feedback on this change, please reach out to me via [email protected], or visit www.circularmaterials.ca/ON to learn more.

Together, let’s make sure this change works for East Gwillimbury.

— Brian Johns
East Gwillimbury