Region of Waterloo says bye to blue box business

The Region of Waterloo will be out of the blue box business come Saturday as the responsibilities for collection shifts to the province.

Region of Waterloo staff say it should be a seamless transition.

“Same program, same date. You put your materials out, same types of materials go in the blue box,” said Joe Arsenault, director of waste for the region.

Arsenault also anticipates the move will save taxpayers around $2 million every year.

It comes as part of a provincial mandate. A new company called Circular Materials is gradually taking over recycling pickup across Ontario.

What does that mean to you during the transition from 2023 to 2025?

Things that stay the same:

• Your collection day won’t change
• Keep doing the two-box sort
• What goes in the blue box doesn’t change
• Green bin, garbage, yard waste and bulky collections continue as is

Things that change:

You will contact Circular Materials’ contractors about…

• Blue box issues or concerns
• Getting new or exchanging broken blue boxes

Bittersweet goodbye to blue box

Arsenault says the region is still committed to a greener future.

“It is something we should be proud of. The program started here and will continue in many respects in its current format. It’s just going to be operated and arranged by others,” Arsenault said.

Waterloo Region is home of the blue box program, with Nyle Ludolph developing the concept in the 1970s, which has taken off globally.

“I think it’s a bittersweet experience for many of us who’ve been here for a while and either knew Nyle or his legacy.”