Recycling and environment
Sorting waste in Toronto - Blue Bin, Green Bin and garbage
Toronto households sort their waste into recycling, organics and garbage, with separate routes for yard waste, electronics and hazardous products. What newcomers commonly notice, what changed in 2026 and how to find out where an item goes.
What newcomers often notice
Newcomers commonly notice that:
- Food waste has its own bin. The Green Bin takes all food waste, cooked or raw, including meat, bones and dairy, and also diapers, sanitary products, pet waste and cat litter.
- Plastic bags are allowed as liners in the Green Bin (for example a grocery or milk bag), but "compostable" or "biodegradable" packaging, cups and cutlery go in the garbage, not the Green Bin.
- Recycling is no longer run by the City. Since January 1, 2026, residential Blue Bin recycling is collected by Circular Materials, a producer organisation, under a provincial regulation, and the list of accepted materials changed.
- Collection days are fixed for houses, and bins must be set out properly on your day; apartment buildings with nine or more units have their own arrangements.
Context
The City of Toronto collects organics (Green Bin) and garbage from houses on a set day of the week and runs drop-off depots for items that do not go in the bins. Garbage bins for houses come in different sizes with different fees.
Under Ontario's producer responsibility rules, the companies that make packaging and paper products now pay for and run residential recycling. In Toronto, Circular Materials took over residential Blue Bin collection on January 1, 2026; for missed recycling pickups or Blue Bin requests, residents contact Circular Materials (circularmaterials.ca/toronto, 1-888-921-2686) rather than the City.
Some items need special handling: household hazardous waste (paint, batteries, propane tanks, chemicals), electronic waste, yard waste and oversized or metal items each have their own City rules and collection or drop-off options.
How it varies
- Houses and apartments: in apartment buildings, condominiums and co-ops with nine or more units, collection depends on the building; ask your building manager where the recycling, organics and garbage rooms or chutes are.
- Accepted items change: the materials accepted in the Blue Bin changed with the 2026 transition, so older advice may be out of date.
Practical tips
Use the City's Waste Wizard on toronto.ca to look up where any item goes. Look up your collection day and schedule on the City's website, or ask your landlord or building manager. Line your kitchen catcher or Green Bin with any plastic bag, such as a grocery or milk bag, and tie it loosely without twist ties; compostable bags are not necessary. Keep batteries, paint and chemicals out of all bins and take them to a drop-off depot or a household hazardous waste event. For missed recycling pickups or Blue Bin requests, contact Circular Materials; for Green Bin, garbage and new or replacement City bins, contact 311.
Sources
Our editors base these descriptions on research, official information and newcomers’ reports.
- City of TorontoOfficial sourceHouses - Recycling, organics and garbage
(Opens {{site}} in a new tab) Accessed 8 Oct 2026Collection day lookup, bin sizes and fees, hazardous, electronic, yard and oversized waste; new recycling provider from January 1, 2026.
- City of TorontoOfficial sourceWhat goes in my Green Bin
(Opens {{site}} in a new tab) Accessed 8 Oct 2026 - City of TorontoOfficial sourceChanges to Toronto's recycling program
(Opens {{site}} in a new tab) Accessed 8 Oct 2026Circular Materials responsible for residential recycling from January 1, 2026; contact 1-888-921-2686.
- City of TorontoOfficial sourceRecycling, organics and garbage
(Opens {{site}} in a new tab) Accessed 8 Oct 2026Apartments, condos and co-ops section for buildings with nine or more units.