Recycling Collection

Was your recycling missed?

Circular Materials is responsible for collecting and managing residential recycling in Barrie. The City of Barrie is responsible for recycling collection services to businesses and institutions that have successfully registered for business/institutional curbside waste collection.

Residential Recycling Program Transition

As of May 1, 2024, residential recycling is not collected by the City of Barrie. An organization called Circular Materials is responsible for collecting and managing residential recycling in Barrie through their collection contractor. For more information residents must contact Emterra Environmental at 1-888-597-1541 or customercareont@emterra.ca.

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.

- Recycling collection frequency and accepted materials will not change. Some residents’ collection day may have changed effective May 1, 2024.
- Residents must contact Emterra, the contractor retained by Circular Materials, for recycling-related questions or concerns. This includes collection schedule, bin replacement, missed collection etc. Emterra can be reached at customercareont@emterra.ca or 1-888-597-1541.
- Residents will continue to contact Emterra, the contractor retained by Circular Materials, for recycling-related questions or concerns. Emterra can be reached at customercareont@emterra.ca or 1-888-597-1541.
- Circular Materials may make changes to the way recycling is collected. This could include changes to materials collected, recycling collection schedule, collection mechanism, etc.

Recycling Collection Schedules

Recycling is collected weekly in Barrie on your waste collection day. Please have your materials curbside by 7am on your collection day.

Ways to Determine your Schedule

- Refer to the map in the Waste Collection Calendar.
- Look up your address.
- Search your address using the interactive map.
- Download the City's mobile app and look up your address under Your Collection Schedule.
- Call 705-726-4242 (Mon–Fri, 8:30am–4:30pm) and Service Barrie staff will look up your collection day based on your address.
- Residents and property managers can call 1-888-597-1541 to speak to Circular Material’s Contractor Emterra Environmental or email customercareont@emterra.ca.
- Call 705-726-4242 (Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm) and Service Barrie staff will look up your collection day based on your address and confirm if your business/institution is registered.
- Refer to the map in the Waste Collection Calendar.*
- Look up your address*.
- Search your address using the interactive map.*
- Download the City's mobile app and look up your address under Your Collection Schedule.*
*Businesses and institutions must register for Business/Institutional Curbside Waste Collection and be approved to receive municipal waste services. The address may appear in the tools listed above, the service is not available unless the business/institution has successfully registered.

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. There is a limit of four blue boxes, one grey box and five bundles of cardboard. Cardboard must be flattened and bundled no larger than 75 cm x 75 cm x 20 cm.
Businesses/institutions within the Downtown BIA: Daily recycling collection. There is a limit four blue boxes, one grey box and five bundles of cardboard each week. Cardboard must be flattened and bundled no larger than 75 cm x 75 cm x 20 cm.

Getting Recycling Boxes

Businesses/institutions that have registered for Business/Institutional Curbside Waste Collection and been approved for municipal waste services can pick up recycling boxes from the following locations:
- Service Barrie at City Hall, 70 Collier Street (first floor)
  Open Monday–Friday, 8:30am–4:30pm
- City of Barrie Landfill, 272 Ferndale Drive North
  Open Tuesday–Saturday, 8:30am–3:30pm.
  The Waste and Recycling Depot located through the scalehouse at the top of the hill is open year-round. The Recycling Depot located at the lower gate area of the landfill is open April to November only.
A maximum of two boxes is permitted per visit (any combination of blue and grey).
Damaged boxes can be returned free of charge to the  landfill site (272 Ferndale Drive North), where they will be recycled.

Accepted Recycling Items

Please refer to the Waste Item Lookup Tool to look up specific items.

Frequently Asked Questions

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
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.