New program owner and customer service contact; same blue box and schedule

RICHMOND HILL – The Province of Ontario is transitioning the blue box program to a new model that makes producers of recyclable materials responsible for their collection and processing instead of municipalities. Starting January 1, 2026, residential recycling in Richmond Hill will be managed by Circular Materials, a non-profit organization that represents producers.

Richmond Hill residents who receive curbside waste collection will continue to receive uninterrupted recycling collection service, but should be aware of the following:

What's changing

Starting January 1, 2026:

• New program owner, same collection contractor: Miller Waste will provide blue box collection on behalf of Circular Materials.
• 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 the City. Contact details will be posted to the City website once they are available.
• Separate trucks for recycling/organics: Blue boxes and green bins will be collected by separate trucks (at different times during the day) instead of being co-collected on the same truck.
• Residents 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.

What is NOT changing

• Collection schedule: There will be no changes to the collection schedule, but collection times will vary. 
• Blue box: Residents can continue to put their recycling out in the same blue box they are using now.
• Garbage, organics and yard waste collection: The City will continue 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 are working with Circular Materials to help ensure a smooth transition and keep our community informed.

For more information, including the expanded list of recyclables, visit RichmondHill.ca/BlueBox.