Changes Coming to Curbside Collection

• There will be one cart for garbage and one for organics.
• The City will continue to collect yard waste manually.
• Residential recycling will continue be collected by Circular Materials. 
  Effective January 1, 2026, Circular Materials may make changes to the way recycling is collected.

• Starting September 8, 2025, organics collection will be introduced to businesses.
• Businesses will receive carts for organics, garbage and recycling (all recyclable material, both blue and grey box material, will be placed in the same cart).
• The City will continue to collect yard waste manually.

Garbage carts will be designed to accommodate current waste limits. Organics carts will be designed to accommodate an average weekly volume.

Prior to September 8, 2025 when the City moves to automated cart collection, the City will provide residents with standard sized garbage carts (240L) and organics carts (120L). Garbage carts will be designed to accommodate current waste limits, and in the case of organics, an average weekly volume. The City is currently looking at options for residents who may need a smaller size garbage cart to switch the standard size for a smaller one.

Store carts where you normally store your waste. If you don't have a garage you can store carts in a convenient place such as outdoors against your house. Carts keep waste contained and protected against wind and animals. Many other urban environments use carts, including the City of Toronto and the City of Guelph.

The City is planning to address these concerns by making smaller garbage carts available and an accommodation process for those requiring assistance.

Closer to September 2025, you will get two carts from the City: a garbage cart and an organics cart. Carts will be provided to residents and will be the property of the City of Barrie. You will not get a recycling cart from the City.

It is not known at this time if residents will be provided carts for residential recycling collection. That will be the decision of Circular Materials.

Registered second suites and/or detached accessory dwelling units are eligible for municipal collection and will receive their own set of carts when they are introduced in 2025.

Cart collection will begin on September 8, 2025. As that date approaches, the City will provide more information on cart delivery and recommendations on living with carts (storage, setting them out, winter tips, etc.).

• There is a new collection schedule. This means your collection day may have changed to balance the routes. Residents were encouraged to use the collection schedule lookup to see the curbside collection schedule.
• The pickup time you're used to may have changed with the new collection routes. Be sure to place materials curbside by 7am on your collection day. 
• You are now able to put pet waste in your organics (green bin). This includes dog waste, plant-based kitty litter and bedding for small animals. Pet waste must be placed in certified* compostable bags.
• There will be no shifts to the collection schedule due to holidays, except for Christmas and New Year’s Day. This means if a collection day falls on a holiday, you will put your items curbside on your regular collection day, except on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.
• Yard waste is collected every other week April through November. There is no yard waste collection in February, March or December. Yard waste continues to be collected weekly in January to accommodate Christmas tree collection.
• Curbside collection service will be expanded to eligible private roadways and laneways. The City is currently working to assess eligible properties. This will be phased in. The City will contact eligible property managers after May 2024.
• For residents in the downtown BIA, there is daily (Monday to Friday) collection of garbage and organics. There will be no change to weekly limits in this area.
• Changes are coming to the collection schedule and frequency for multi-residential buildings (6 units or more). Please stay tuned for more information.
   

*Certified compostable bags packaging is marked with one of these logos:

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• For businesses in the downtown BIA, there is daily (Monday to Friday) collection of garbage, and recycling from May 1, 2024 to September 7, 2025, until automated cart collection is introduced. There will be no change to weekly limits in this area. 
• Businesses/institutions must register with the City to receive municipal curbside waste collection (garbage, yard waste and recycling).
• Yard waste is collected every other week April through November.

The curbside collection changes that came into effect May 1 were communicated in the following ways:

• 2024 Waste Collection Calendar
  Delivered to Barrie households via Canada Post admail in December 2023 and available for pickup at select facilities 
• Several direct mail flyers to all homes
• Brochures, rack cards and targeted letters
• Staffed information booths at locations throughout the city from from February – April and Town Hall meetings
• Curbex signs in each ward and high-traffic areas
• Automated calls to cell phones and landlines in Barrie
• Text to cell phones in Barrie with a hyperlink to a dedicated webpage
• Advertising campaign including television, radio, transit and digital ads
• City of Barrie digital channels including a dedicated webpage, Schedule Lookup Tool, mobile app, social media channels and e-news
• Other City channels including digital screens in City facilities, posters, flyers and banners
• Local media outreach 

As of May 1, 2024, a not-for-profit organization called Circular Materials is financially responsible for collecting and managing residential recycling in Barrie. As a result, the City will experience some savings, as the City will 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

Changes to the City’s yard waste collection program that began with the start of our new waste collection contract in May 2024 consider alignment of the City’s program with municipal service levels across the province, typical weather patterns, and balancing service levels with the increasing cost of waste collection.

View all Yard Waste FAQs