Frustrated Toronto residents still waiting for recycling to be picked up

Nine days into the new year, and Toronto’s now privatized recycling program is off to a rough start as overflowing blue bins in several North York neighbourhoods are still waiting to be picked up.

As of January 1, Circular Materials, a national non-profit, has taken over coordination of the recycling program from municipalities after the Ford government ordered material producers to take the lead in picking up items. Green For Life is responsible for handling the actual curbside collections.

Toronto mayor Olivia Chow also expressed her frustration with the new recycling collection program.

“We warned the government and Circular Materials that it’s not going to be an easy transition,” she said on Friday. “As you know, the provincial government took all recycling services away from the City of Toronto, so any recycling, the blue bins, is no longer run by the city – we absolutely have no control over it.”