Maksym Yemelyanov / Depositphotos.com
Some changes are coming to recycling services in Saugeen Shores in the new year.
Ontario’s new blue box program is set to be implemented in the town as of Jan. 1, 2026, shifting the operational responsibility of curbside recycling from the municipality to producers. Circular Materials is the producer-founded organization managing Ontario’s new recycling system. Bruce Area Solid Waste Recycling will be providing curbside bluebox pick-up in the town as a contractor for Circular Materials.
A few changes are coming as a result in Saugeen Shores. Residents will be able to put more items in the bluebox for curbside pick-up, including corrugated cardboard. Businesses, commercial farms and places of worship will no longer be eligible for curbside collection. And Saugeen Shores will be closing its three public recycling drop-off depots, while opening a new one for businesses at the landfill site in Southampton.
Saugeen Shores Mayor Luke Charbonneau says town residents won’t notice a lot of changes in the curbside bluebox collection service, except for the fact there are more items you will be able to recycle.
“Things like hot and cold beverage cups, frozen juice containers, ice cream tubs, black plastic containers, deodorant, toothpaste tubes, and even cardboard will now be collected at curbside,” Charbonneau says.
While Charbonneau says those enhancements improve curbside collection for residents, businesses will see a reduction in service. They are no longer eligible for curbside pickup in the new provincial scheme.
In response to that shift for commercial entities, Charbonneau says the town will be opening a new drop-off recycling program at the landfill in Southampton; Commercial customers will be able to dispose their recyclables there, free of charge.
Charbonneau says there is concern the loss of curbside recycling collection for commercial customers could result in more materials ending up in the landfill. A town staff report brought to Saugeen Shores council in May estimated the Southampton landfill will reach capacity in five-to-seven years. The town has been looking at expanding it.
“We are concerned with the fact commercial businesses aren’t covered in the new provincial program. We’ve expressed that concern. I think just about every municipality in Ontario has expressed that concern,” Saugeen Shores’ mayor says. “We are fearful that it will mean more recycling will end up in landfill. It’s a huge gap in this provincial program. Ad the province knows it. They’ve heard about it. But they’re implementing the system the way they’re implementing it.”
“So at the moment, the municipality has to try to make the best of it. We’ve given folks this option at the landfill site, which is sort of the best option we can provide,” Charbonneau continues. “And I would encourage all commercial businesses, chambers of commerce and other organizations to continue to advocate with province to come up with a solution to provide more convenient recycling services for every commercial business and institution.”
He adds: “Even the Town of Saugeen Shores, our own facilities, no longer have access to curbside collection. As a commercial operator ourselves, we are struggling with this change.”
Town residents will also lose the ability to drop off their recycling as of January, and will have to rely solely on curbside collection. Three public recycling depots for cardboard, film plastic and Styrofoam in Saugeen Shores are due to close Jan. 1. And there will no longer be public recycling bins at the landfill. Charbonneau says it’s because the new provincial system won’t include recycling collection at those sites.
“Please note, under the new program there are no drop-off locations for residential recycling,” a notice on the town’s website explains. “If you miss collection day, please hold onto your recyclables until the next collection day.”
The shift to the new recycling program will create some cost savings for Saugeen Shores. According to a 2025 budget report, the town allocated about $350,000 for recycling this year. Some — but not all — of that expense should be recovered by the municipality moving forward.
“We aren’t entirely confident in what the reduction will be in 2026, because it hasn’t rolled out yet. And we have this depot to open at the landfill site,” Charbonneau says. “We are just waiting to see what the final numbers will look like.”