Councillors set to continue city-funded business recycling for rest of 2026

Hamilton councillors are poised to keep city-funded blue box pickup available to businesses through the rest of 2026, after Ontario shifted recycling responsibility to a producer-run regime that removed municipal eligibility for many non-residential sites.

Hamilton councillors appear set to continue city-funded blue box pickup for businesses for the rest of 2026. The move responds to a provincial change that shifted recycling responsibility to producer-run programs. Until last year, the city ran a curbside blue box program that also served many businesses. Under the provincial change nearly 2,500 businesses, places of worship, daycares and 184 city facilities are reported as no longer eligible for municipal service. What is known: - Hamilton council is reported as poised to fund blue box pickup for businesses through the rest of 2026. - Until last year the city ran curbside blue box collection that served many businesses. - Ontario's new producer-run recycling regime is reported to have removed eligibility for nearly 2,500 businesses, places of worship, daycares, and 184 city facilities. - The city had covered the cost to continue the service until the end of March. - In January the service cut was proposed as a budget measure to save $2.29 million. Summary: Maintaining city-funded pickup would keep curbside recycling for affected businesses and some municipal sites through 2026. The decision responds to eligibility changes under the province's producer-run program and follows an earlier budget proposal to cut the service and save $2.29 million. Undetermined at this time.