Starting July 1, 2025, Loyalist Township will transition to the Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR, model for curbside recycling services which will be managed by Circular Materials Ontario. Under the EPR model, responsibility for collecting, processing, and recycling blue box materials will shift to the producers—those companies that supply these materials to residents.
This change is part of Ontario's new Blue Box Regulation, which was passed in 2021 and will take effect over a transition period from 2023 to 2026. Loyalist Township is required to adopt this model by July 1, 2025.
Circular Materials are advancing the circular economy – where materials are collected, recycled and returned to producers for use as recycled content in new products and packaging. Their organization focuses on building enhanced recycling systems, ensuring more materials are looped into the circular economy, benefiting both people and the environment.
Circular Materials has awarded Emterra the collection contract for Loyalist Township.
Your curbside blue box recycling services will remain unchanged. Collection dates and acceptable materials will stay the same, but separate contractors will handle garbage and recycling collection starting July 1, 2025.
Curbside collection of Garbage and Recycling will continue to be provided by Waste Connections. Information on the Blue Box transition will be provided though municipally managed social media sites, our Loyalist Township garbage and recycling webpage, Recycle Coach app, Engage Loyalist, and on an information pamphlet included with the Q1 Tax notice.
Circular Materials will take full responsibility for recycling collection and management and may bring some changes to the program.
Loyalist residents will still have access to the app, Recycle Coach, where they will find information on scheduled collection days, service disruptions and acceptable recycling materials including any updates on acceptable recycling materials provided by Circular Materials. Loyalist will continue to manage all other notifications on the Recycle Coach app.
Updated signage and a more comprehensive list of acceptable materials will be developed and implemented. The focus will be on enhancing the user experience and providing a functional site layout that works for residents. We also plan to roll out a site plan to help Amherst Island residents become more familiar with how their waste is being sorted. Users will have access to this from July 1, 2025.
You may continue to drop off your recycling materials at the Amherst Island waste management facility. The list of accepted materials and the number of streams will remain the same. Updated signage and onsite guidance will be available. Emterra Circular Materials contractor will manage different bins on-site effective July 1, 2025.
Circular Materials will assume responsibility for the collection of bins onsite and the management of recycling materials offsite. Loyalist staff will continue to manage operations onsite, including both garbage and recycling. Changes to the acceptable number and types of recycling material may be adopted by the program.
Amherst Island residents will still have access to Recycle Coach where they will find hours of operation, service disruptions, and acceptable recycling materials, including any updates on acceptable recycling materials provided by Circular Materials. Loyalist will continue to manage all other notifications on Recycle Coach.
As of July 1, 2025, ICI businesses will no longer qualify for blue box recycling services provided by Circular Materials or Loyalist Township as per O. Reg. 391/21: BLUE BOX and Council Resolution 2024-127, "Blue Box Transition - Non-Eligible Sources,".
Letters have been sent to affected businesses with further details. If you believe you received this letter in error or have not received a letter, please contact Loyalist Township for clarification.
ICI businesses will continue to have access to recycling options, although they will be required to set up collection agreements with private contractors. Below is a list including some of the contracts offering collection services for ICI businesses.
https://www.wasteconnectionscanada.com/services/co...
https://e360s.ca/solid-waste-management/industrial...
https://www.emterra.ca/pages/business-solutions
https://www.wm.com/ca/en/business/business-waste-r...
The collection and management of recycling for municipally owned and operated facilities will continue under a separate private contract.
A limited number of ICI businesses will continue to have garbage collection provided by Loyalist Township; these businesses are ones that received collection service prior to 2025. We would like to remind qualifying ICI businesses that it is important to divert recycling materials from landfills. Co-mingled garbage and recycling will be refused at pickup. Repeat offenders may be asked to coordinate separate garbage collection contracts.
Thank you for your attention to this important update. We appreciate your cooperation and remain committed to supporting our community throughout this transition.
Loyalist Township's recycling transition will happen on July 1, 2025!
Historically, Ontario’s blue box programs were operated by municipalities who were responsible for paying about half of the costs of the program, with producers responsible for the other half. Now, under the current version of the Blue Box Regulation, Ontario is transitioning to a new model where producers – the organizations that produce the products and packaging – are 100% responsible for operating and funding the program.
Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR, is recognized as one of the most effective mechanisms to improve recycling rates. It helps advance a circular economy where materials are collected, recycled, and returned to producers for use as recycled content in new products and packaging.
Circular Materials and Loyalist Township will be using the same app platform, Recycle Coach, to provide updates and information on collection times, dates, materials, and any delays. With an information-sharing agreement in place, Loyalist will be able to provide seamless updates to residents through an app that is already familiar and in use by our community.
The Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR, model shifts responsibility for the collection, processing, and recycling of blue box materials to the producers – the companies that supply these materials to residents. This change is part of Ontario’s new Blue Box Regulation, passed in 2021, which takes effect over a transition period between 2023 and 2026.
Loyalist Township has been directed to adopt this model by July 1, 2025.
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Not exactly. While it may seem like the cost of recycling is being transferred to producers and removed from the consumer, there is still a cost to the Township.
Municipalities themselves are producers of recyclable materials and must pay fees to have these materials collected and managed under the Blue Box Regulation.
Examples of materials we produce include Municipal Calendars, Guides, Construction and Utility notices, tax bills, and other informative material that we provide to residents throughout the year.
We pay fees to the RPRA for reporting this material and Fees to a P
Additionally, Loyalist Township is still responsible for managing a separate contract for the collection of our recycling material at township owned and operated facilities as we fall under the Industrial, Commercial or Institutional property owners, or ICI, Non-eligible sources for recycling collection. Without subsidization from Stewardship fees, we rely on tax revenue to pay for these costs.
This is a great question, and one that we can all work on together. While the Township is required to pay fees for the materials we produce and provide to our community, there is always room for improvement and even some cost savings along the way.
By transitioning more of our communications to a digital platform and offering more resources online, Loyalist can shift from a paper-based model to a more efficient digital platform, providing quick and easy access to information such as calendars, guides, notices, and tax statements.
That said, we won't do away with paper entirely. In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, we will continue to provide copies of many Township documents in paper format to ensure everyone has equal access to information.
Regular Inspection and Audits will help us determine the composition of garbage and help us make more informed discissions.
Educational Campaigns will help us keep residents informed about options for diversion and recycling as they become available. Education will also reinforce the importance of proper waste management techniques.
Penalties for Non-Compliance may be included in a review of our current waste by-law for those who regularly fail to separate their recycling from waste.
Have questions or want to learn more about a project, contact us below:
| Phone | 613-386-7351 |
|---|---|
| Website | www.loyalist.ca |
| In writing | Box 70, 263 Main Street |
