The Province of Ontario mandated that the corporate producers of packaging and other materials be responsible for all residential recycling collection in Ontario. These producers created the organization Circular Materials who has contracted with GFL Environmental to provide residential pickup of recycling materials in Peel Region. As such neither Peel Region nor the City of Mississauga are responsible for recycling collection. Peel Region continues to be responsible for waste and organics pickup.

The following information is provided as a convenience to our residents. Official information can be found at circularmaterials.ca/mississauga.

If you click the screenshot below, you will be brought to a Circular Materials page where you can scroll down to check your schedule for recycling pickup, download an app for the schedule, use a search tool to see what can be recycled or report an issue with your recycling pickup.  (Please note that you must enter an address to see the ‘What Goes Where’ tab.)

Do you have any questions, concerns or complaints about the new province-wide recycling collection system?  If so, let us know by clicking the button below and we will share your feedback with Circular Materials.

If you are not in Ward 6, we can also let your Councillor know so he or she can provide feedback to Circular Materials as well.

Who can I contact with concerns about missed collection, a broken bin or other issues?

Peel Region can no longer pick up recycling for you. Recycling is now managed by Circular Materials. You will need to reach out to GFL (the new recycling contractor hired by Circular Materials) for service issues with missed collection.

Here’s their contact info:
Online Service Form: gflenv.com/canadarecycles
peelrecycling@gflenv.com
1-877-268-4351

What do I do if I have more recycling than will fit in my bin?

UPDATE: On January 20th, we received official word from Circular Materials, that excess recycled materials outside blue bins will not be collected. However, they have moved the date for this change from March 1st to June 1st. They state that bins are only for those who regularly have excess recycling and that orders could take 30 days to fulfill. You can request a extra bin at circularmaterials.ca/recycling-container-request-form/.

Circular Materials has also reiterated that recycling materials should be placed loose in your bin and not in bags.

UPDATE: But good news, we just got another update that those residents with bag-based pickup (mostly townhouses) will be able to continue using bags.

If you cannot hold on to your extra recycling and need to dispose of it right away, Peel’s Community Recycling Centres (CRCs) accept recycling drop off free of charge (when you bring in recycling items only). For more information about Peel’s CRCs, visit: peelregion.ca/waste/crc

I live in a townhome and I currently have weekly recycling pick-up, will that be changing to bi-weekly?

Yes. According to Circular Materials, your weekly collection will be changing to bi-weekly collection, which means your recycling will be collected every other week. Your recycling will continue to be collected in bags for now. However, Circular Materials will revisit this in the future and it may be changing March 1st. Your garbage will continue to be collected weekly by Peel Region.

I am upset about this switch to provincial recycling pick-up — who should I speak to about it?

The Government of Ontario has mandated that producers are now responsible for recycling pick-up. They have created the organization Circular Materials to manage the program. You can reach out to Circular Materials by email at customerservice@circularmaterials.ca or call 1-877-667-2626.
You can also consider contacting your local Member of Provincial Parliament. To determine who your MPP is, visit Find My Ward and enter your Mississauga street number and street.

Why has this change been made?

While that is ultimately up to the Government of Ontario to answer, producer pay recycling programs shift the financial responsibility to those who sell packaged goods and the consumers who buy them. This provides an incentive for producers to reduce the amount of packaging in their products and shifts the cost of recycling from being a direct taxpayer expense on the property tax base.

What is Councillor Horneck’s position on all this?

Joe’s first priority is that we try to be helpful with information for residents even though recycling collection is no longer a municipal responsibility. Beyond that, he does not support any changes that reduce service levels to residents or that increase the amount of recyclable items being put in the garbage or illegally dumped. While there are positives to the new program such as more items being accepted and uniform standards across the province, these benefits have been overshadowed by a lack of communications and problems with recycling being collected.

Below is a summary of items that can be recycled. Please note that there are many new items that can be recycled. The materials list is divided into four categories, you can click the category button to jump to that section.

Pizza boxes, direct mail boxes, moving boxes, shoe boxes.

• Flatten. No larger than 60 x 60 cm.

Cereal boxes, tissue boxes, egg cartons, rolls from toilet paper and paper towel.

• Empty and flatten.

Pet food bags, food service paper bags, and plates.

• Empty and free from food residue.

Spiral cans, cookie dough package, ice cream containers, and hot and cold beverage cups.

• Remove lids, empty and free from food residue.

Beverage cartons, juice and milk cartons, coffee creamers, and sugar cartons, soup and sauce cartons.

• Empty, free from food residue and replace lids.
• Do not include alcoholic beverage containers.

Flour bags, prescription bags, paper produce bags. Notepads, loose paper, file folders.
Community newspapers, flyers, brochures and magazines. Greeting cards, envelopes.

• Paper only including removing plastic bags, elastic bands and rope handles.
• Do not include soft or hard covered books/novels.

Laundry detergent and household cleaner jugs, shampoo, body wash, salad dressing, condiment, dish soap, mouth wash bottles, plastic beverage bottles.

• Empty and free from food residue.
• Keep lids on.
• Do not include alcoholic beverage containers.

Toothpaste tubes, deodorant, hand cream tubes.

• Empty and free from residue.
• Keep lids on.

Hand sanitizer bottles, medication bottles, blister packs, plant pots.

• Empty and free from food and residue with lids on.

Aluminum foil, pie plates, frozen food trays.

• Empty and free from food residue.
• Ball up aluminum foil.

Food spray, hairspray, air fresheners, shaving cream, deodorant.

• Empty with lids on.
• Not Accepted: Aerosols with toxic, corrosive or flammable symbol with exception of:
  • Cooking oil sprays and products designed for food
  • Hairsprays, cosmetics and products designed to be used on hair/skin

Clear and coloured food containers, jars and bottles, cosmetic containers, spice bottles, oil and vinegar bottles, non-alcoholic glass beverage containers.

• Empty and free from food residue with lids off.
• Not Accepted: Alcoholic beverage containers.