Kincardine residents will see major changes to their recycling program next year as Ontario rolls out a producer-led recycling system.
Beginning January 1, 2026, manufacturers - not municipalities - will take over funding and running residential recycling services across the province. The change aims to create a more consistent, efficient, and accessible recycling system across the province.
For Kincardine households that already receive curbside waste collection, pickup schedules and frequency will remain the same, but the list of accepted materials is expanding. Residents will be able to recycle additional items at the curb, including corrugated cardboard, hot and cold beverage cups, frozen juice containers, ice cream tubs, black plastic containers, and even deodorant and toothpaste tubes. Full details on what can be recycled under the new system are available at kincardine.ca/BlueBox2026.
Public recycling depots will no longer be supported or funded under the new provincial framework, and all existing depots in Kincardine will close permanently on December 31, 2025. Residents who miss their scheduled pickup will need to hold onto their recyclables until the next collection day, as the landfill will not accept materials covered by the new system.
Waste Management Canada, based in Mount Forest, will operate the curbside program on behalf of Circular Materials, the provincial producer organization. The company will handle collection, processing, and customer service for residents, and questions about missed pickups, collection routes, or acceptable materials can be directed to Waste Management through wm.com/ca/en/support.
Certain properties, including businesses, farms, industrial sites, and institutions, are not eligible for curbside Blue Box collection under the new program. To support these non-eligible users, the Municipality of Kincardine will continue to provide drop-off recycling at the Armow Waste Management Centre, with dedicated expanded hours on Monday evenings and Thursday mornings. A tipping fee of $1.65 per kilogram applies to all drop-off materials to cover bin rentals, transportation, and contamination management. Users are encouraged to flatten and clean their recyclables to help keep costs down.
