Blue Box Recycling

The Region of Waterloo offers residential curbside collection for blue box recyclables, green bin organics, garbage, appliances and bulky items and seasonal yard waste collection. 

Trucks begin collecting at 7 a.m. on your scheduled garbage day so please have all items to the curb by then. 

• Blue box recycling program for residents
• Recycling cart program for apartment buildings and townhouse complexes
• Recycling cart program for schools
• History of the Blue Box Recycling Program
• Other recycling programs
• Nyle Ludolph, Father of the Blue Box Program

Blue box recycling program for residents

Collection schedule:

• Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo have weekly blue box recycling collection on their garbage day and green bin day.
• Township settlement areas have weekly blue box collection on their garbage day and green bin day.
• Other township areas receive bi-weekly recycling collection on their garbage day. Please check your township calendar for more information.

Collection information:

• See Curbside Collection to find out how to make sure your blue box gets picked up and preparation information.
• Read the Blue Box Brochure to find out what goes in the blue box.

Please use a standard Region of Waterloo blue box. They are available free at one of our pickup locations listed below.

• Use two boxes - one for containers and the other for paper and plastic grocery bags.
• If you use a recycling box other than the Region one, the maximum size is 60 cm (24 in.) wide x 40 cm (16 in.) deep.

Where to pick up a blue box

Please use Region provided blue boxes. They are available free to all residents. A maximum of two boxes can be picked up.

Blue boxes are also available at the Ayr, Crosshill, Elmira and Wilmot rural waste transfer stations in the townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich.

Please note: If you are using a recycling box that is not a Region blue box, it must be no larger than 60 cm (24 in.) wide and 40 cm (16 in.) deep.

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Cart recycling program for apartment buildings and townhouse complexes

The Region's cart program is available to apartment buildings and townhouse complexes, having six or more units, and for schools.

Eligible buildings are provided with recycling containers and weekly collection service, at no charge. The recyclable materials collected are exactly the same materials collected in the residential blue box program.

Recycling is mandatory at multi-residential buildings having six or more units in Ontario under the Environmental Protection Act, Reg 103/94.

Please refer to the Recycling Handbook or Recycling Information Brochure or for more information please contact Region of Waterloo Waste Management at 519-883-5100 or e-mail waste@regionofwaterloo.ca.

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Recycling cart program for schools

Schools in the Region are eligible for the recycling carts program. Schools are provided with one paper cart and multiple container carts as well as weekly collection.

A free school recycling poster is available in PDF format to download.

Interested in getting on the cart program? Please contact Region of Waterloo Waste Management at 519-883-5100 or e-mail waste@regionofwaterloo.ca.

Ludolph, "Father of the Blue Box"   1927 - October 14, 2011 "What's happened has surpassed my wildest dreams. I'm so proud I was allowed to be in the right place at the right time - to feel I had some impact." October, 1993 Nyle Ludolph has been credited with developing the world's very first residential recycling program in 1983 for Kitchener, Ontario.

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