Item - 2025.IE25.2

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, until June 30, 2031, to negotiate, enter into and execute new revenue generating service agreements and amend and extend any existing service agreements with various Producer Responsibility Organizations (including as non-competitive procurements pursuant to Article 195-7.1 of the Code) for the purpose of the City providing waste management and related services for waste recovery materials (non-Blue Box Materials) regulated under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016, as amended, such as hazardous and special products, electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, tires, and any new waste recovery material introduced through regulation, with the total term of each new service agreement and each extension of an existing service agreement not exceed five (5) years, on terms and conditions acceptable to the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, and each in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

2. City Council authorize the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services (or designate), to negotiate, enter into and execute amending agreements with Rehrig Pacific Company to:

a. Extend the recycling and garbage bin contract (47021231) term from July 1, 2026, for an additional four (4) years and five (5) months to November 30, 2030 with no increase in the contract value.

b. Extend the green bin contract (47019524) term for an additional three (3) years, from December 1, 2027, to November 30, 2030 with no increase in the contract value.

3. City Council request the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services' to continue to provide Blue Box Material collections to non-eligible City customers who are customers as of December 31, 2025 but not provide Blue Box Materials collection to new commercial customers or new multi-residential customers that join City collection services after January 1, 2026.

4. City Council direct the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services to report back to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee, no later than the first quarter of 2027, on the results of the review and analysis of whether to continue to provide recycling collection and management services to non-eligible sources that are not captured in Ontario Regulation 391/21: Blue Box.

5. City Council amend Chapter 841 of the Code to align the provisions pertaining to the collection of recycled materials with Ontario Regulation 391/21: Blue Box, as further described in Schedule 1 to the report (October 16, 2025) from the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services.

6. City Council amend Chapter 844 of the Code to align the provisions pertaining to the collection of recycled materials with Ontario Regulation 391/21: Blue Box, as further described in Schedule 1 to the report (October 16, 2025) from the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services.

7. City Council amend Chapter 846 of the Code to align the provisions pertaining to the receipt of recycled materials with Ontario Regulation 391/21: Blue Box, as further described in Schedule 2 to the report (October 16, 2025) from the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services.

8. City Council direct the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, in consultation with the City Solicitor, to report to Council in the second quarter of 2026 with an update on the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility, plus a strategy to minimize the risks of: 

a. Uncollected Blue Bins;

b. Blue Box material going to landfill at City expense; and,

c. Blue Box materials becoming litter.

9. City Council direct that the confidential information contained in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (October 15, 2025) from the City Solicitor remain confidential in its entirety, as it contains advice which is subject to solicitor-client privilege.

10. City Council request the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, to report to the February 25, 2026 meeting of Infrastructure and Environment Committee, with an update on the post-January 1st, 2026 implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility.

11. City Council request the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, invite Circular Materials to deliver a presentation at the February 25, 2026 meeting of Infrastructure and Environment Committee on:

a. an update on the transition to Circular Materials' collection of Blue Bin materials since January 1, 2026;

b. plans and strategies to manage waste from large online marketplaces, including those that sell clothing; 

c. the volume and nature of complaints about Blue Bin collection that have have been received by the telephone complaint line;

d. the process for addressing and resolving how residents' complaints about Blue Bin collection.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, until June 30, 2031, to negotiate, enter into and execute new revenue generating service agreements and amend and extend any existing service agreements with various Producer Responsibility Organizations (including as non-competitive procurements pursuant to Article 195-7.1 of the Code) for the purpose of the City providing waste management and related services for waste recovery materials (non-Blue Box Materials) regulated under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016, as amended, such as hazardous and special products, electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, tires, and any new waste recovery material introduced through regulation, with the total term of each new service agreement and each extension of an existing service agreement not exceed five (5) years, on terms and conditions acceptable to the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, and each in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

2. City Council authorize the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services (or designate), to negotiate, enter into and execute amending agreements with Rehrig Pacific Company to:

a. Extend the recycling and garbage bin contract (47021231) term from July 1, 2026, for an additional four (4) years and five (5) months to November 30, 2030 with no increase in the contract value.

b. Extend the green bin contract (47019524) term for an additional three (3) years, from December 1, 2027, to November 30, 2030 with no increase in the contract value.

3. City Council request the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services' to continue to provide Blue Box Material collections to non-eligible City customers who are customers as of December 31, 2025 but not provide Blue Box Materials collection to new commercial customers or new multi-residential customers that join City collection services after January 1, 2026.

4. City Council direct the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services to report back to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee, no later than the first quarter of 2027, on the results of the review and analysis of whether to continue to provide recycling collection and management services to non-eligible sources that are not captured in Ontario Regulation 391/21: Blue Box.

5. City Council amend Chapter 841 of the Code to align the provisions pertaining to the collection of recycled materials with Ontario Regulation 391/21: Blue Box, as further described in Schedule 1 to the report (October 16, 2025) from the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services.

6. City Council amend Chapter 844 of the Code to align the provisions pertaining to the collection of recycled materials with Ontario Regulation 391/21: Blue Box, as further described in Schedule 1 to the report (October 16, 2025) from the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services.

7. City Council amend Chapter 846 of the Code to align the provisions pertaining to the receipt of recycled materials with Ontario Regulation 391/21: Blue Box, as further described in Schedule 2 to the report (October 16, 2025) from the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services.

8. City Council direct the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, in consultation with the City Solicitor, to report to Council in the second quarter of 2026 with an update on the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility, plus a strategy to minimize the risks of: 

a. Uncollected Blue Bins;

b. Blue Box material going to landfill at City expense; and,

c. Blue Box materials becoming litter.

9. City Council direct that the confidential information contained in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (October 15, 2025) from the City Solicitor remain confidential in its entirety, as it contains advice which is subject to solicitor-client privilege.

10. City Council request the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, to report to the February 25, 2026 meeting of Infrastructure and Environment Committee, with an update on the post-January 1st, 2026 implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility.

11. City Council request the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, invite Circular Materials to deliver a presentation at the February 25, 2026 meeting of Infrastructure and Environment Committee on:

a. an update on the transition to Circular Materials' collection of Blue Bin materials since January 1, 2026;

b. plans and strategies to manage waste from large online marketplaces, including those that sell clothing; 

c. the volume and nature of complaints about Blue Bin collection that have have been received by the telephone complaint line;

d. the process for addressing and resolving how residents' complaints about Blue Bin collection.

The General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, gave a presentation on Transition of the Blue Box Program to Extended Producer Responsibility: Post-Transition Plan.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recessed its public session to meet in closed session to consider this Item, as it pertains to receiving of advice or communications that are subject to solicitor-client privilege.

The purpose of this report is to provide City Council with an update on Solid Waste Management Services' plans for the Post-Transition Phase (January 1, 2026 and beyond) of the Blue Box Program's transition to  (Extended Producer Responsibility, including: the impact of the final Blue Box Regulation amendments, joint collection schedule agreement with Circular Materials, post-transition operations, procurement and contract management, required by-law amendments, and advocacy.

This report also seeks authority to re‑negotiate and extend existing agreements with Rehrig Pacific Company for agreement 47021231, Supply, Delivery and Maintenance of Recycling and Garbage Bins, and agreement 47019524, Design, Manufacture, Supply, Distribution and Maintenance of the Next Generation Green Bin (organics) for the City of Toronto’s Solid Waste Management Services Division.

This report summarizes preliminary advice from the City Solicitor to the Solid Waste Management Services Division regarding aspects of the City of Toronto's plan for the transition of the blue box program to extended producer responsibility.