Blue Box Program Changes in 2026

The Province of Ontario transitioned the blue box program to a new model that makes producers of recyclable materials responsible for their collection and processing instead of municipalities.

As of January 1, 2026, residential recycling in Richmond Hill is managed by Circular Materials (CM), a non-profit organization that represents producers. CM has contracted Miller Waste to collect your blue box recycling and manage customer service inquiries. You will continue to receive uninterrupted recycling collection service on your regular collection day.

What's changed

As of January 1, 2026:

New customer service contact: All blue box related inquiries, including missed collections and requests for new blue boxes must be made directly to Miller Waste, instead of to the City. Contact Miller Waste at 1-855-752-3762 or area10@millerwaste.ca. For escalated blue box/recycling contractor complaints or other recycling-related questions, contact Circular Materials at 1-877-667-2626 or customerservice@circularmaterials.ca.
Separate trucks for recycling/organics: Blue boxes and green bins are collected by separate trucks instead of being co-collected on the same truck. Your collection day stays the same, but collection times will vary.
The City no longer sells or exchanges blue boxes: You can contact Miller Waste for a new blue box or buy a 22-gallon blue box from local retailers such as Canadian Tire and Rona.
You can recycle more materials: New items include hot and cold takeout cups and lids, plastic bags, foam packaging, black plastic containers, deodorant sticks and toothpaste tubes. Learn more at CircularMaterials.ca/RichmondHill.

What has NOT changed

Collection schedule: There are no changes to the collection schedule, but collection times will vary.
Blue box: You can continue to put your recycling out in the same blue box you are using now.
Garbage, organics and yard waste collection: The City continues to collect garbage (including furniture and larger items), green bins and yard waste, as well as large appliances (by appointment) following the current collection schedule.

City staff continue to work with Circular Materials to ensure a smooth transition and keep our community informed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this affect garbage, green bin and/or yard waste collection?

No. The City continues to be responsible for garbage, green bin and yard waste collection.

Who is Circular Materials?

Circular Materials is a non-profit organization that administers the recycling collection system in Ontario on behalf of producers. Circular Materials sets up and manages contracts with waste service providers to collect and process recyclable materials. Visit CircularMaterials.ca for more information.

Who are producers?

Producers are companies that supply blue box materials, such as product packaging, paper products, or packaging-like products made of paper, glass, metal or plastic into the Ontario market. Producers are responsible for covering the costs of collecting and recycling these materials.

Why are these changes happening?

Historically, Ontario’s blue box programs were managed by municipalities, with costs shared between municipalities and the producers of blue box materials. A new Provincial Blue Box Regulation transitions Ontario to an “Extended Producer Responsibility” (EPR) model, placing full financial and operational responsibility for the blue box program on producers of recyclable materials. The intent is to give producers an incentive to reduce waste and improve recycling across the province.

Can I purchase or exchange a City-issued blue box?

No. The City of Richmond Hill no longer sells or exchanges blue boxes. You can contact Miller Waste at 1-855-752-3762 or area10@millerwaste.ca for a new blue box or buy a 22-gallon blue box from local retailers such as Canadian Tire and Rona.

My blue box didn't get picked up. What do I do?

If your blue box was missed, contact Miller Waste at 1-855-752-3762 or area10@millerwaste.ca and a customer service representative will investigate the matter.

Will my property taxes go down because the City no longer manages the blue box program?

Cost savings from the blue box transition are minimal due to the loss of producer funding for this program and the increased cost to collect organics with a separate truck. The remaining minimal savings are used to offset other transition costs and rising operational costs due to inflation.

How does this affect multi-residential properties?

Properties receiving municipal waste collection

As of January 1, 2026, multi-residential properties receiving recycling collection from the City transition to Circular Materials’ waste collection contractor (Miller Waste) for this service. The City continues to collect garbage and organic waste from these buildings.

New properties or properties that do not receive municipal waste collection

The Province has deferred the start of expanded recycling collection for new multi-residential buildings that did not previously receive municipal service until 2031. New multi-residential buildings can still apply to the City for free garbage and organic waste collection services by contacting Access Richmond Hill at access@richmondhill.ca.

Does this affect industrial, commercial, and institutional properties?

Industrial, commercial, and institutional (IC&I) waste is regulated separately from residential waste in Ontario, and is not eligible for collection by Circular Materials as per the Province of Ontario’s Blue Box Regulation. The City does not provide waste collection to IC&I properties; private collection must be arranged.

How does this affect businesses in the downtown core BIA?

The City will continue to provide recycling collection services to businesses currently receiving municipal collection in the downtown core Business Improvement Area (BIA). However, these provincial changes will increase the cost for the City to provide waste collection service.

Starting in 2026, the City will be introducing an annual waste management fee for each business property in the downtown core that is currently receiving municipal waste collection service. The 2026 fee is $365 per property.

To continue receiving weekly municipal waste collection of garbage, organics and recycling, the annual fee must be paid to the City starting in 2026.

Affected businesses received letters outlining these changes in the Spring and Fall of 2025.

For more information: