Recycling Collection

Business/Institutional Recycling Program

• Collection Schedule

  For business/institutional properties, recycling is collected weekly for most properties—twice weekly for downtown BIA business/institutional properties. Please have your materials curbside by 7am (4:30am in the downtown BIA) on your collection day.

  Confirm your collection schedule

• Recycling Limits, Municipal Curbside Collection

  The City of Barrie provides recycling collection services businesses and institutions that have registered for Business & Institutional Curbside Waste Collection and been approved for municipal waste services, as follows. The BIA Boundary is detailed within the Curbside Collection Schedule Map and the Waste Management By-law.

  Businesses/institutions outside of the Downtown BIA: Weekly collection of recycling on a scheduled waste collection day. The limit is 1 recycling cart. Carboard must be cut up to fit easily into and out of the cart. Excess or oversized cardboard can also be brought to the landfill to be recycled for free.

  Businesses/institutions within the Downtown BIA: Twice weekly collection of recycling on a scheduled waste collection day. The limit is 1 recycling cart and 2 bundles of flattened cardboard no larger than 75cm x 75cm x 20cm. Place cardboard bundles beside the recycling cart.

• Getting Recycling Carts

  Businesses/institutions that have registered for Business/Institutional Curbside Waste Collection and been approved for municipal waste services will be provided a City issued recycling cart.

• Acceptable Recycling Items

  For business/institutional properties, recycling can be mixed together and placed into your recycling cart. Accepted materials include: 

  • Aluminum/metal cans
  • Cardboard and boxboard (e.g. pizza boxes)
  • Cartons and juice boxes
  • Flexible plastic packaging (e.g. food foil wrappers from granola or candy bars, chip bags, squeeze pouches, etc.)
  • Glass containers
  • Paper (e.g. newspapers, magazines, catalogues)
  • Paper coffee cups and plates
  • Plastic bottles, containers, cutlery and lids
• Unacceptable Recycling Items

  • Books
  • Dishes
  • Empty paint cans
  • Hazardous waste (e.g. batteries, medications, paint, chemicals, etc.)
  • Toys
  • Organics, yard waste or garbage

• Collection Schedule, Recycling Limits & Accepted Items

  Get the most up-to-date recycling collection schedules, limits, accepted materials, and recycling tips at CircularMaterials.ca/barrie. If your property is within the boundary expansion lands, visit barrie.ca/BoundaryExpansion for recycling collection details.

• Getting Recycling Boxes

  Please contact Circular Materials’ Contractor Emterra Environmental at customercareont@emterra.ca or 1-888-597-1541 for information about replacement recycling boxes or carts.  

  Damaged recycling boxes can be returned to the landfill site (272 Ferndale Drive North) where they will be recycled free of charge.

Frequently Asked Questions

• When did Circular Materials begin to manage Barrie’s residential recycling?

  Circular Materials has managed Barrie’s residential recycling since May 1, 2024.

• Did the transition of the residential recycling program save the City money? 

  As of May 1, 2024, a not-for-profit organization called Circular Materials is financially responsible for collecting and managing residential recycling in Barrie. This change comes as part of a provincial regulation (O. Reg. 391/21: BLUE BOX), where all Ontario municipalities are transitioning to a “producer responsibility model”. Companies (also known as “producers”) who supply recyclable materials will be responsible for the collection and recycling of these materials.

  As a result, the City will experience some savings, as the City is no longer be responsible for residential recycling. These savings will be invested into expanding and improving the City’s current waste diversion and collection services, and the continued collection of recycling from the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors.

  Examples of service improvement occurring over the next several years include:

  • pet waste inclusion in organics
  • expanding the organics program into City facilities and businesses
  • expanding curbside collection to eligible private roadways and laneways
• Will I get a recycling cart?

  Residential recycling is not managed by the City. It is managed by Circular Materials. It is not currently known if or when Barrie residents will receive recycling carts – that will be the decision of Circular Materials.

• What to do if my recycling has not been collected?

  Please remember to sort your waste for collection and have it curbside by 7am on your collection day/week. 

  Residential recycling is not managed by the City. Circular Materials is responsible for residential recycling under the provincial Blue Box Regulation.  Their contractor in the City of Barrie is Emterra. If you believe your recycling collection was missed, please contact Emterra directly at customercareont@emterra.ca or 1-888-597-1541.

• What’s changing for residential recycling in 2026?

  Starting in 2026, Ontario residents will be able to recycle more materials than ever before and recycle the same materials no matter where they live in the province. 

  Examples of some of the materials that will be accepted for recycling as of January 1, 2026 include:

  • Paper coffee cups
  • Flexible plastic packaging (coffee bags, chip bags, snack wrappers, etc.)
  • Paper egg cartons
  • Paper plates
  • Plastic cutlery
  • Toothpaste tubes
  • Plastic plant pots