October 8, 2025 — The City is looking to residents and local businesses for their input as it relates to recycling collection for industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) properties in Sarnia.
Up until 2023 the City delivered collection of recyclable materials to residential properties, alongside a small percentage of ICI properties that were located on residential routes. In 2023 the Province of Ontario transitioned residential recycling to a producer-led organization called Circular Materials Ontario. This organization currently delivers the curbside blue box program in Sarnia. Since 2023 the City has paid CMO’s contractor to continue the collection of recycling to existing ICI customers along its residential routes. Circular Materials Ontario has indicated they will cease offering this practice for ICI properties starting in 2026.
For the City to continue offering recycling collection to these ICI customers, standalone truck routes would need to be deployed. It is estimated this could cost upwards of $280,000 annually for the 200 properties currently collected. There are an estimated 1,300 ICI properties in Sarnia.
“The issue poses a challenge for the City, as we balance affordability alongside historic levels of service. Since we can no longer rely on the previous economy of scale offered by folding ICI within residential collection routes, continuing the service represents a considerable cost increase for taxpayers. At the same time, we recognize how this may impact our ICI customers so we are looking to them, and the public for their insight before any decisions are made,” said David Jackson, General Manager of Engineering and Operations.
The City has launched an online survey to ascertain user experiences and preferences as it relates to ICI recycling collection, alongside the opportunity to provide open-ended input. The survey will remain open until October 29, 2025 at 4:30 p.m.
To learn more and access the survey visit www.speakupsarnia.ca/ICISurvey.