2025 Recycling Collection Changes for Businesses
As of 2026, the recycling landscape across Ontario will be very different from what it is today. Communities across the Province have been assigned transition dates and some of these changes will effect Bancroft businesses effective July 1, 2025
What is Changing?
The Provincial Government passed legislation to make producers of recyclable products (paper products and plastic packaging) fully responsible for the costs associated with the lifecycle of these recyclable products. By January 1, 2026, a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) will act on behalf of producers to create and manage the new residential recycling collection system accross the province .
While some of the new legislation is positive, the new system does not include recycling collection from Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (IC&I) locations , such as downtown businesses and most not-for-profits.
As of July 1, 2025, the Town of Bancroft will only collect garbage across the Municipality, not recycling. Recycling services for residential customers will be provided through the province by a private collection company by businesses and many not-for-profits (referred to as Non-Eligble Sources) will need to make thier own arragements for recycling collection servies.
What are the impacts to IC&C locations?
As of July 1, 2025, the onus will be on IC&I locations to set up and cover costs for their own recycling systems by entering into private agreements with eligible contractors and obtain private collection of recyclables. These IC&I locations include:
–All private sector businesses
–Place of Worship
–Daycare Centres
–Campgrounds without permanent or seasonal households
–Municipal Buildings and facilites such as libraries, arenas, municipal offices, etc.
–Not-For-Profit Organization including shelters and foodbanks
Why are IC&I locations considered ineligible by the Province?
Recycling collection from IC&I locations has never been mandated for municipalities in Ontario. The Town has collected recyclables from businesses as a value-added services to support our community.
Why can't the Town continue collectiong from IC&I locations?
All municipalities in Ontario, including the Town of Bancroft, will be out of recycling business by 2026. Under the new regulation, the costs to the Town to continue to manage recycling services will be exponentially higher than current costs, placing a heavy burden on our taxpayers.
What is the Town doing to support our businesses and IC&I sectors?
The Town has been working tirelessly with Circular Materials Ontario (CMO) and the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA), as well as our MP, to ensure that they are aware of the potential environmental and service-related concerns by not providing recycling collection to IC&I locations.
Environmental Concerns:
Source Separation is important in every sector, including the IC&I sector. Recyling services should be readily available to everyone.
Community Service Concerns:
– Recycling Collection is a valuable and convenient service to our small businesses and not-for-profits.
–Most downtown core businesses lack the space to consider alternative collection options.
The Town of Bancroft has suggested the following amendment to the Province:
– Amend Ontario Regulations 391/21 to include small IC&I locations (those generating similar quantities of recycling compared to a residential unit) as eligible sources to ensure PRO's are required to service these locations as part of the residential collection contract.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Contact your MPP to express your concerns about the exclusion of IC&I sources from Ontario's producer resposibilty collection framwork.