City Partners with GFL as Ontario Rolls Out Provincewide, Producer-Funded Recycling System

Residential recycle blue box programs across Ontario continue to move to a collection system that is 100 percent funded and operated by producers of packaging and paper products. Starting on January 1, Kenora will transition to an enhanced recycling system operated by Circular Materials, a national not-for-profit organization responsible for managing the system. Recycling will be even more convenient in Kenora with a new recycling cart and a standardized list of what can be recycled across Ontario.

Starting in 2026, GFL Environmental Inc. (GFL) is Circular Materials’ Contractor, responsible for Kenora’s curbside collection under this new provincial framework.

Acting proactively, the City of Kenora engaged with GFL to explore ways the City could partner with GFL through a subcontract agreement, ensuring the City of Kenora continues to perform curbside collection services.

On November 25, 2025, City Council approved the Subcontract Agreement, commencing a 7-plus-year relationship with GFL, preserving service delivery as it currently exists with the following exciting changes:

• Early December 2025, large 360 litre recycling carts will be delivered to curbside collection customers.
• Until December 31, 2025, curbside collection customers will continue to use their current Blue Boxes.
• Starting January 2, 2026, curbside collection customers will use the new recycling cart and should begin placing at curbside on their collection day.
• Additional items can now be recycled including: glass containers, cartons, paper laminate packaging, and more! 

If you need to recycle more than what fits in your cart or miss collection day, you can continue to drop off clean recyclables, for free, at the Transfer Station, located at 401 Mellick Avenue. The Transfer Station is open 7-days a week, with the exception of statutory holidays.

The City of Kenora remains committed to diverting recyclable materials from our landfill, while holding producers accountable and financially responsible for their products and packaging once they reach their end of life.