GUELPH POLITICAST #444 – New Blue Box, Same as the Old Blue Box (feat. Cam Walsh)

As you may have heard, there are changes coming to your blue bin starting in January, and if you’re confused about what that means when you put the bin out on the curb in 2025, you’re not alone. You probably want to know what's going on, and how you should react, so due to popular demand, this podcast will ask all the questions about blue box changes you wanted to know, and some of the ones you didn’t.

Guelph has a history of making history when it comes to the blue box: We were one of the first cities to get one, and we were one of the first cities to make the transition to three streams of waste, and we were one of the first to make the transition to the new bin system. What's next is the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, which is moving the responsibility of collecting recyclables to the producers of those materials.

Starting on January 1, 2025, Waste Management Corporation of Canada (WM) will be collecting residential recycling and providing related customer service in Guelph. As you will hear today, you probably won't notice a lot of change to start, but 2025 will be a transition year for not only who collects your blue bin, but what you will be able to put inside it and who else might now get service as WM takes over for the City of Guelph.

To understand all this, we're joined by Cameron Walsh, the Division Manager of Solid Waste at the City of Guelph, who will tell you what happens on January 2 when you put your recyclables out on the curb. He will also talk about the process the City has been undertaking to facilitate these changes, what will happen over the course of 2025, the ongoing review of collection downtown, and the impacts on the City’s fiscal bottom line. Also, what will the future of waste collection in Guelph look like after 2025?

So let's dig into the blue box on this week's Guelph Politicast!

You can learn more about the changes coming to the collection of recyclables next year at guelph.ca/waste, where you can also find links to the Solid Waste Master Plan, and other info. Also, if you have any questions, send emails directly to waste [at] guelph.ca. You can also download the Guelph Waste app from the App Store and Google Play, it not only sends you reminders about garbage day, but it can help you sort your waste.

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