June 26, 2023 — Beginning July 1, 2023 the City will transition responsibility for residential recycling collection in Sarnia to Circular Materials, enhancing the life cycle of recyclable materials with no impacts to City residents.
The transition will result in no change to the recyclable materials residents currently put in their blue boxes or to current recycling schedules.
In June 2021, the Province of Ontario released the Blue Box Regulation that shifts the financial and operational responsibility of recycling from municipalities to the producers of packaging, paper and packaging–like products. As a result, responsibility for Ontario’s Blue Box programs will transition to producers between July 2023 to the end of December 2025. Circular Materials (CM) will manage Blue Box programs on behalf of its producers. Sarnia is one of the first to transition on July 1, 2023.
“This transition is a step forward in how recycling is managed in Sarnia and across Ontario, and we’re excited to be handing residential recycling collection over to producers. With CM committing to status quo in recycling services until the end of 2025 our residents can expect collection to continue without interruption,” said General Manager of Engineering and Operations David Jackson.
“We look forward to delivering a seamless transition of recycling services for the residents of Sarnia,” said Allen Langdon, CEO of Circular Materials. “As the province transitions over the next few years to a full producer responsibility framework, Ontarians can expect to have a convenient, consistent, and effective recycling system that will improve recycling rates – benefiting people and our planet.”
Starting July 1, 2023, please contact Emterra for all residential recycling-related questions and concerns at 1-888-597-1541 or customercareont@emterra.ca. Starting June 30, Sarnia residents will be able to find more information on local recycling collection for residential properties via the CM website at www.circularmaterials.ca/Sarnia.
The City will retain responsibility of waste (garbage) collection, and continue to deliver special collections such as yard waste, brush and large items. The City will also continue to deliver recycle collection for some commercial properties.
About Circular Materials
Circular Materials is a national not-for-profit producer-governed organization established to support producers with meeting their obligations under extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations across Canada. Its full-service offering supports producers with meeting the requirements of EPR recycling regulations. These services include collection, management, promotion and education, and reporting. Established by Canada’s leading food, beverage, and consumer products manufacturers, retailers, and restaurants, Circular Materials is committed to improving recycling by advancing innovation, increasing performance and delivering improved environmental outcomes. Circular Materials also represents the evolution from product stewardship to a more circular economy where materials are collected, recycled, and returned to producers for use as recycled content in new products and packaging.