TORONTO – New Year, New Disruptions. In these first days of 2026, the planned transition of recycling collection from the City of Toronto to a new private provider is proving far from smooth for some Toronto residents. 

Residents of the Leaside neighborhood told CityNews yesterday that they have yet to see any collection of their blue bins by the new company. Reports and phone calls, they explain, have only added to confusion and frustration, while recyclables continue to pile up along the sidewalks.

The City is now responsible only for the collection of garbage, yard waste, and green bin materials. Recycling collection has been entrusted (not only in Toronto but across the province, following a decision by the Ontario government) to “Circular Materials”, which handles single-family homes, some residential complexes, as well as schools, long-term care facilities, and retirement homes.

In recent months, city officials had assured residents that collection schedules would remain unchanged and that any missed pickups should be reported directly to the new provider. But…

“We got a notice to put everything out on New Year’s Day, and everybody did, and they haven’t picked it up since. They picked up the garbage and compost, but the recycling is still out” resident Carrie Baker told CityNews. “Definitely mixed communication between the City, the company and the residents here” she added.

Similar reports came from North York, where some residents say that, despite following the instructions on the informational postcard they received, their recyclables were not collected.

City Councillor Josh Matlow called the situation “completely unacceptable” and announced his intention to raise the issue directly with the company, the mayor’s office, and the Doug Ford-led Ontario government. “This is a basic service that all of us rely on and should be provided by the City” Matlow wrote on social media.

In a statement to CityNews, “Circular Materials” confirmed that households in certain city districts were not serviced on January 2 and 3. The affected areas include a large part of North York and East York, from the Humber River east to Yonge Street and from Steeles Avenue south to Lake Ontario, as well as the area between Yonge Street and Victoria Park, also from Steeles Avenue south to Lake Ontario.

“This special collection was scheduled outside the regular recycling pickup cycle to support increased recycling volumes following the holiday season” explained the company’s CEO, Allen Langdon. “Any household that did not receive a collection will be collected starting Monday (today) and during this week. Residents are asked to please leave their recycling out to support pick up. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank residents for their patience and engagement…”.

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash