Recycling pick-up will be managed by Circular Materials as mandated by the Province of Ontario as of December 31, 2025.
Created: Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Starting December 31, 2025, the Town of Newmarket will no longer be responsible for collecting recycling. Recycling will be managed by Circular Materials (CM). CM was appointed by producers under Ontario’s new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework to oversee recycling across the province. The contractor that CM hired to pick up recycling in the Town of Newmarket is GFL Environmental. Under this new system, producers of recyclable materials will be responsible for fully funding the recycling program.
Please note that while GFL is currently contracted by the Town of Newmarket for garbage, recycling, and organics collection, the new recycling program starting December 31, 2025, is managed by Circular Materials (CM) and delivered by GFL on a separate contract.
As part of this new recycling program that is mandated by the Province, here are the changes that residents can expect to see:
- Recycling carts are being delivered to Newmarket households in December. By default, everyone will receive a 360-litre recycling cart. To request a smaller 240-litre recycling cart, please complete an online form on Circular Materials' website.
- Circular Materials is recommending all households keep their default 360-litre recycling cart for at least three bi-weekly collections before requesting an exchange.
- Residents have been directed by Circular Materials and their contractor GFL to start using the new recycling carts, on December 31, 2025. Do not use the new carts until December 31, 2025.
- Pick-up will be automated using trucks with mechanical arms and therefore recycling set out in blue boxes will no longer be picked up.
- Recycling will switch to biweekly pick-up instead of weekly pick-up, but your waste collection day will remain the same. Recycling collection will occur on the opposite week from garbage collection.
- Garbage will continue to be collected biweekly, and organics (green bin) will be collected weekly. Yard waste collection will remain unchanged. Please view the waste and recycling calendar for more information.
Residents can contact Circular Materials’ contractor GFL for missed collections and recycling service requests at [email protected] or call 1-833-779-4351.
Blue Box Return Program
Residents are encouraged to reuse and repurpose their old blue boxes. For those who cannot find a personal need for the old blue boxes, the Town will be hosting a blue box return program from January 5 to 30, 2026. Residents can drop off their unwanted blue boxes to the following locations for proper disposal and recycling:
- Newmarket Operations Centre (1275 Maple Hill Court), Ray Twinney Recreation Complex (100 Eagle Street West), Newmarket Seniors’ Meeting Place (474 Davis Drive) and the Magna Centre (800 Mulock Drive) and the Municipal Offices (395 Mulock Drive)
- Drop-off at a designated area outdoors that will be signed.
- If you have an accessibility or mobility need and require an alternative arrangement to drop-off your blue box visit Newmarket.ca/BlueBox for more information.
- Georgina Waste Transfer Station (23038 Warden Avenue, Keswick Ontario)
Appointment Booking for Large Items
Beginning January 1, 2026, large item pick-up will require an appointment similar to the current pick-up process for white goods/appliances and large metal items.
- Each large item must have a large item tag that can be purchased from a Town of Newmarket facility, or online (account creation required).
- Call GFL at 1-866-421-5625 to schedule your large item pick-up.
- Residents may call GFL in advance to schedule a large-item pick-up. However, to have items collected on your scheduled garbage day, requests must be received no later than 11 a.m. on the Monday of your garbage collection week. Requests received after this time cannot be guaranteed for collection that week and will be scheduled for the next regular garbage collection day.
- All items must be at the curb by 7 a.m., with no more than five items per collection.
Background on the Provincially mandated Producer-led responsible model for recycling
This transition is mandated by the Province of Ontario and unfortunately, the Town of Newmarket does not have control over the structure or delivery of the program.
Municipalities across Ontario, including the Town of Newmarket, have been transitioning their Blue Box programs 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. This new blue box program will see additional enhancements, including a wider-range and standardized list of accepted items across the province.
