Blue Box Recycling

Contacts

Municipal Office

395 Mulock Drive P.O. Box 328 Station Main, Newmarket, Ontario
L3Y 4X7
905-895-5193

Email Us

Blue box recyclables are collected every week on your scheduled collection day. To determine your collection day, please check our online Recycle Coach app or refer to the Waste and Recycling Calendar.

Remember to place blue boxes at the curb no later than 7 a.m. on your scheduled collection day and no earlier than 5 p.m. the night before collection. Ensure that blue box material set out for collection is in accordance with the Town's waste program requirements. Please remove emptied containers and any uncollected waste from the curb by 8 p.m. on collection day.

For more information on what goes where, check out Newmarket's Recycle Coach app or York Region's Bindicator.

Acceptable Containers
  • Blue boxes issued by the Town of Newmarket.
  • Blue boxes that are open-topped plastic containers that are clearly and easily identifiable as containing blue box recyclables. Blue boxes must not exceed 21 in. (53 cm) in height, 16 in. (40 cm) in width and 19 in. (48 cm) in length or 83 Litres (22 gallons).

Unacceptable Containers
  • Cardboard boxes
  • Containers with attached or detachable lids
  • Garbage bags (in any colour)
  • Garbage containers
  • Wheeled containers and oversized containers

Cardboard and Other Waste Paper Material
Cardboard, magazines, newspapers and boxboard may be placed beside your blue box if flattened, bundled and tied with twine or string (no rope). Bundles must not exceed 36 in. x 36 in. x 8 in. (90 cm x 90 cm x 20 cm).
Weight Limit
The maximum weight per blue box and its contents must not exceed 22 kg (50 lbs). Includes bundles.
Waste set-out Reminders
  • Place blue boxes at the curb by 7 a.m. for collection on your scheduled collection day. Do not place containers on the road or sidewalk as it may pose as a hazard to vehicular traffic and other residents. Proper placement will also help avoid damage to containers and will reduce interference with Town operations.
  • Keep blue boxes separate from your neighbours.
  • Do not overfill blue boxes.
  • During winter months, do not place blue boxes on top of or behind snow banks as it can be difficult for the collection operator to access, and may cause waste material to spill onto the roadway.
  • Maximum weight per blue box and its contents must not exceed 22 kg (50 lbs). Includes bundles.
Additional Blue Boxes

Blue boxes can be purchased online through newmarket.perfectmind.com and then clicking on 'Online Store'.  You will need to create an Xplor account to make an order. Alternatively, you can contact Customer Service at 905-895-5193. Bins will be delivered to your home by GFL.

Blue boxes are also available for purchase in-person at the Municipal Offices, Magna Centre, Ray Twinney Recreation Complex, Newmarket Seniors Meeting Place and Operations Centre. Please note that only cashless transactions are accepted at the Operations Centre.

Note: If your location receives private waste collection, we recommend contacting your condo board for any questions about blue box recycling or to obtain new blue boxes.

Broken Blue Boxes
Blue boxes are replaced free of charge if broken. Residents can call Green for Life (GFL) at 1-866-421-5625 to schedule a replacement bin exchange. Broken blue boxes must be at the curb on the date of exchange in order to receive a replacement bin.

Note: If your location receives private waste collection, we recommend contacting your condo board for any questions about blue box recycling or to obtain new blue boxes.

Missed Waste Collection
For missed waste collection or waste collection inquiries, please contact Green for Life (GFL) at 1-866-421-5625 or via email at [email protected].
Oops Sticker
If you received an 'oops' sticker, please visit Green for Life's (GFL) 'oops' sticker page for more information.

What Happens to my Blue Box Material?
The Town of Newmarket manages the collection of blue box materials, which are delivered to York Region's Material Recovery Facility for processing. To learn more about what happens to your blue box recyclables after collection, watch this video!

Acceptable Materials
Acceptable materials include:
  • Newsprint such as catalogues, magazines, telephone books, newspapers, advertising flyers and any other newspaper inserts (newspapers still in the plastic wrapper are not acceptable).
  • Paper items such as writing paper, computer paper, flyers and envelopes, egg cartons, greeting cards, and tissue paper.
  • Clear and coloured glass bottles and jars that once contained food or beverages (please rinse and separate lids).
  •  Metal cans that once contained food or beverages (please rinse).
  • Cardboard boxes such as appliance boxes, moving boxes, pizza boxes (clean), and any other corrugated cardboard (bundled no larger than 36” x 36” and tied no thicker than 8”).
  • ​Rinsed and empty plastic bottles, drink containers (no straws), jars and jugs (used for beverage, food and cleaning products), food tubs (yogurt, margarine, etc.), clear fruit and vegetable containers, and clear take-out containers.

Unacceptable Materials
Unacceptable materials include:

  • Polystyrene foam items such as foam egg cartons, meat trays, protective packaging, packaging peanuts, take-out food and beverage containers.
  • Plate glass, window glass, headlights, light bulbs, drinking glasses, cups, dishes, cookware, ceramics, mirrors.
  • Grocery, bread, produce and frozen vegetable bags, plastic film/wrap, bubble wrap, re-sealable zipped food bags, plastic straws and cutlery, pill or gum packets, black plastic take-out containers.
  • Diapers, wax paper, garden hose, rope, shredded paper, paper towels, cookie bags, potato chip bags, textiles, coat hangers, pots, pans, kitchen utensils, plastic toys, lawn furniture, furnace filters, coffee cups.
  • Household hazardous waste such as batteries, full/partially full paint cans, full/partially full aerosol containers.
  • Food waste.

Blue Box Transition

Between July 2023 and December 2025, municipalities across Ontario will transition their Blue Box programs from a shared responsibility model of the current Blue Box program to a new, producer-led responsibility model, often referred to as 'full' or 'extended producer responsibility'. Under this new system, producers of Blue Box materials will be responsible for fully funding and operating the recycling program.

On December 31, 2025, the Town of Newmarket is scheduled to transition to a new Blue Box collector.

In 2026, the Blue Box program will see additional enhancements, including a wider-range and standardized list of accepted items across the province.

Blue Box collection will be provided to schools (public and private from kindergarten to Grade 12), non-profit retirement and long-term care homes, and multi-residential properties (e.g., apartments and condos).

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Blue Box program changing?
Since July 2023, the Blue Box program has been gradually transitioning from being operated by municipalities to being fully operated by producers (companies that produce Blue Box materials sold in Ontario). Under the new Blue Box regulation, producers are responsible for collecting and recycling Blue Box materials. Producers fulfill their regulatory obligations through Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs), which have established a single, province-wide common collection system administered by Circular Materials (CM), a non-profit organization.

Under this new system, CM will oversee the collection of Blue Box materials from homes, residential buildings, and the residential portions of mixed commercial and residential properties across Ontario. By January 1, 2026, all municipalities in Ontario will have fully transitioned to this new producer responsibility collection system, marking a significant shift toward greater accountability and sustainability in waste management.

Effective December 31, 2025, CM will take over the delivery of residential Blue Box recycling collection services currently managed by the Town of Newmarket. The contractor responsible for recycling collection will be announced once confirmed by CM.

Beginning January 1, 2026, recycling will transition from the current blue box to large wheeled recycling carts, and collection frequency will change from weekly to every other week. In addition, the program will shift from manual collection (where workers lift and empty containers) to automated collection using trucks equipped with mechanical arms.

Details on cart delivery timelines, the process for phasing out existing blue boxes, and other program changes will be shared as they become available.

The Town of Newmarket continues to maintain responsibility for the curbside collection of:

  • Garbage and large/oversized household items (e.g. couches and mattresses)
  • Green bin organics
  • Leaf and yard waste
  • Metal goods (e.g. BBQs and dishwashers)
Why are these changes happening?
The Government of Ontario introduced legislation that transforms the management and collection of Blue Box materials in the province. The Blue Box Regulation, enacted under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, is a cornerstone of Ontario’s Strategy for a Waste Free Ontario: Building the Circular Economy.

This regulation shifts the current cost-sharing model, which divides expenses between municipal taxpayers and producers of Blue Box materials, to a new system where producers are fully responsible for funding, operating, and meeting performance targets for the recycling program. Producers will be accountable for collecting and recycling Blue Box materials, reporting to the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA), and achieving progressively higher recycling targets.

By placing the full financial, operational, and performance responsibility on producers, this new approach creates a direct incentive to minimize waste and enhance recycling efforts, leading to reduced natural resource extraction, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Who will be responsible for Blue Box collection?
Since July 2023, the Blue Box program has been gradually transitioning from being operated by municipalities to being fully operated by producers (companies that produce Blue Box materials sold in Ontario). To meet their regulatory obligations, producers are working collectively through Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs), who have established a unified, province-wide collection system. 

Circular Materials (CM), a non-profit organization, has been designated as the administrator of this common collection system. CM will manage the collection of Blue Box materials from homes, residential buildings, and the residential sections of mixed-use properties across Ontario. 

By January 1, 2026, all municipalities in Ontario will have transitioned to this new producer-led responsibility system, ensuring a standardized and sustainable approach to recycling across the province.
Who is Circular Materials (CM)?

In Ontario, the Blue Box Regulation (under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016) makes producers fully responsible for the cost and operation of recycling programs for packaging and paper products.

Circular Materials (CM) is a national not-for-profit Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) that represents and supports producers in meeting their regulatory obligations under extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations across Canada.

CM is a PRO registered with the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) and is also designated as the Administrator of the Common Collection System in Ontario.

As the Administrator, CM has appointed Reverse Logistics Group (RLG) to act as the Operator of the Common Collection System. RLG has been contracted to procure and/or manage collection and receiving facility contracts on behalf of CM.

Overall, CM oversees the delivery of the residential Blue Box collection program.

What does Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mean?

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy approach that makes producers (companies that supply packaging and paper products) responsible for managing these materials at the end of their life.

Under EPR, producers are required to fund and operate recycling programs instead of municipalities. The goal is to encourage innovation (e.g., by reducing the amount of packaging used, designing more recyclable packaging, and cutting down on packaging waste), create operational efficiencies through a more unified and consistent recycling system across the province, and improve recycling rates by setting consistent standards and expanding access to recycling services.

EPR has been established in other provinces, such as British Columbia, and is being adopted in others, including Alberta and Nova Scotia. Ontario's transition to EPR aligns with these broader national and international efforts to modernize and improve recycling systems.

Will the curbside program change for residential properties?

Until December 31, 2025, residents will not see any changes, as Circular Materials (CM) must maintain current service levels during the transition period.

However, starting January 1, 2026, the Blue Box program will change. Recycling collection will move from traditional blue boxes to large wheeled recycling carts, and collection will shift from weekly to every other week using automated trucks with mechanical arms. CM will be responsible for informing residents of any changes.

What about multi-residential properties?
Multi-residential properties are eligible for collection under the new producer responsibility system. These changes will impact existing customers, new developments, and properties currently using private Blue Box collection services in different ways.

Properties receiving municipal collection:

Effective December 31, 2025, multi-residential properties that currently receive Town-provided recycling collection will transition their Blue Box recycling collection to the new producer responsibility program.

New properties or properties that do not receive municipal collection:

A recent amendment to the Province's Blue Box Regulation has deferred the expansion of recycling collection for multi-residential buildings that did not previously receive municipal Blue Box service until 2031.

What about Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (IC&I) properties?

In Ontario, Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (IC&I) waste is regulated separately from residential waste. Producers are not responsible for the collection or management of Blue Box material from the following 'non-eligible' sources:

  • Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (IC&I) properties
  • Daycares
  • Places of worship
  • Businesses in BIAs
  • Non-profit/charitable organizations and shelters
  • Post-secondary institutions (public or private)
  • Municipal facilities and community centres (e.g. libraries, arenas)

For properties that have both residential and commercial units, producers are only required to collect from those units that are defined as an eligible source.

Effective January 1, 2026, the Town's recycling collection program for IC&I locations will be discontinued, and these properties will need to make alternate arrangements as they will not be serviced by Circular Materials as per the Ontario Government's regulation. Garbage and organics collection will not be affected.

The Town is currently exploring a waste management strategy for the Downtown area which will include recycling diversion opportunities.

Why is the Town discontinuing recycling collection for IC&I locations?
As of January 1, 2026, all municipalities, including the Town of Newmarket, will no longer manage recycling services and are not obligated to do so under the new Blue Box regulation. The potential costs to the Town to continue to provide recycling collection services to IC&I properties (non-eligible sources) would be significantly higher than current rates, adding a significant cost to taxpayers. Non-eligible sources represent a small fraction (1%) of total properties that receive recycling collection provided by the Town.
Who do I contact if I have a Blue Box collection issue?
Starting December 31, 2025, the Town will no longer provide Blue Box related services. The contractor responsible for recycling collection will be announced once confirmed by Circular Materials. Contact information will be made available before the end of 2025. You can continue to contact the Town about curbside waste collection for garbage, organics, yard waste, and any other questions about non-blue box waste.