Ontario allows disposable coffee cups, toothpaste and deodorant in blue bins.

On January 1, 2026 Ontario introduced a standardized blue box list that allows items such as disposable coffee cups, toothpaste tubes, black plastic and some deodorant containers in residential recycling bins; batteries and other hazardous materials remain excluded and require separate drop-off programs.

On January 1, 2026 Ontario implemented a standardized blue box program that expands the list of items accepted in residential recycling bins. The update is the final phase of a three-year transition that began in 2023 and is managed by the not-for-profit Circular Materials. The program is 100 percent funded by the companies that produce packaging under an extended producer responsibility policy. Circular Materials estimates the change will save Ontario municipalities more than $200 million. Key details: - The new rules took effect January 1, 2026 and apply province-wide where communities have transitioned. - Accepted items now include disposable coffee cups, black plastic, toothpaste tubes and certain deodorant containers when empty and rinsed. - Hazardous items such as batteries are not accepted in blue bins because of fire risks at collection facilities; these items remain part of separate drop-off programs such as Recycle Your Batteries, Canada, which has about 15,000 locations. - Since the start of the year, 383 locales and 12 First Nations communities in Ontario have fully transitioned to the standardized program. - The change is managed by Circular Materials and funded under extended producer responsibility (EPR), which assigns end-of-life packaging costs to producers. Summary: The expanded, province-wide list is intended to streamline recycling by making the same materials acceptable across participating communities. Many municipalities and First Nations have already moved to the new system. Batteries and other hazardous materials remain excluded and continue to require separate collection programs. Officials report that communities can be checked on the Circular Materials website or app to see whether they have joined the standardized program.