Mayors across York Region’s northern municipalities say their patience has run out as frustration mounts over the area’s new recycling system.
In the latest development in an ongoing dispute, the Northern Six (N6) mayors issued a sharply worded joint statement following a meeting this week with Ontario’s environment minister, and executives from Circular Materials and GFL. Their message was direct: residents need access to smaller blue bins — and they need immediate clarity.
Circular Materials is set to take over recycling collection on January 1 under Ontario’s new producer-led recycling model. But the company has been rolling out 95-gallon recycling carts, a size the mayors argue is impractical for many households. They say the bins are too large and too heavy for seniors and residents with mobility challenges, and that many homes, walk-up apartments, and single-car garages simply do not have space to store them.
Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas says the province has already acknowledged the need for smaller bin options, noting that both the premier and the environment minister confirmed their support for offering alternative sizes. Environment Minister Todd McCarthy reiterated this position in a written statement, saying the government is working to ensure bins are available in sizes that reflect “residents’ unique needs.”
Despite this, Circular Materials has yet to commit to providing smaller bins for N6 communities.
The mayors call this “deeply concerning,” especially as other GTA municipalities have retained their existing blue box sizes and maintained weekly pickup schedules under the same provincial rules. In contrast, N6 residents are not only being transitioned to oversized bins but also being moved from weekly to bi-weekly collection.
Georgina Mayor Margaret Quirk has raised similar alarms, noting that municipalities were not informed until late August that the system would include larger carts and reduced pickup frequency. She says residents deserve greater transparency, particularly since the decision to purchase the oversized bins was made months before local officials were briefed.
