Recycling | Loyalist Township

Recycling Inquiries

For all recycling inquires including a missed recycling collection, residents are asked to contact Emterra’s customer service at 1-888-597-1541 or customercareont@emterra.ca.

Residents can follow Circular Materials on social media or visit their website for updates. More information can be found on the Loyalist Engage Recycling Transition page.

Loyalist Township's recycling program is now managed by Circular Materials, the administrator of the common collection system and a national not-for-profit organization that is committed to building an efficient and effective recycling system in Ontario.

Recycle Coach

New! Stay up to date on collection days. Download the Recycle Coach app at the links below.

Pickup schedules

If you live in mainland Loyalist Township, your recycling is picked up on the same day each week, depending on your area. This map shows the collection areas (select map for larger image). Please complete our Alternative Document Request Form to request this file in an alternative format.

Map of recycling collection in Loyalist — Legend: Pink - Area 1 - Tuesday, blue - Area 2 - Wednesday, Green - Area 3 - Thursday

As of July 1, 2025, Loyalist Township has transitioned to the new province-wide recycling model; The collection program is now fully managed by Circular Materials Ontario. While collection days remain aligned with garbage collection at present, please check for the latest information on the Recycle Coach app and the Township's municipal calendar. Recycling pickup alternates between grey box one week and blue box the next week.

FAQs

Amherst Island residents

If you live on Amherst Island, please take your recyclables to the Amherst Island landfill.

My recycling wasn't collected

Review the recycling pickup rules below.
Ensure you had the right items out for the correct week.
Review how to properly prepare your recyclables.
If you aren't sure why your recycling was missed, contact Emterra’s customer service at 1-888-597-1541 or customercareont@emterra.ca

Schedule changes

Your pickup day may change If a holiday overlaps with a regular collection day. Sometimes your pickup will be earlier than you're used to. We print regular schedules and changes in our calendar, and changes are listed on our website. Sign up to receive notifications when there are schedule disruptions by downloading the Recycle Coach App.

Recycling bins

Starting July 1st, 2025, recycling collection will be managed by Circular Materials Ontario. Please contact Emterra’s customer service at 1-888-597-1541 or customercareont@emterra.ca to request recycling bins.

Recycling collection rules

Recycling must be at the curb by 7 a.m. and is usually picked up by 5 p.m.
You can put it out at 6:30 p.m. or later the night before.
Pickup schedules alternate between blue box items one week and grey box items the next.

You can also take recyclables to the Kingston Area Recycling Corporation (KARC), 196 Lappan's Lane, Kingston. It is open year-round, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is free for Township residents.

Recycling process

Recycling materials collected in Loyalist Township are processed for recycling at the Kingston Area Recycling Centre. This video shows you what happens to your recycled waste after it is collected at the curb and sorted at the Kingston Area Recycling Centre.

What goes in your blue and grey bins?

When you prepare your recyclables properly, you help make sure our drivers can complete their routes efficiently. We have created a handy printable guide you can post in your home to help you sort your recyclables. Download the Recycle Coach app and use the What Goes Where Tool to search more than 15,000 items!

Blue bins

YES: Plastic bottles, jars, tubs and lids, cartons, trays, clamshell, and other rigid plastic packaging. All plastic types with a recycling symbol on them are recyclable, regardless of the number in the symbol.

NO: Plastic pails over 10 litres, toys, laundry baskets, storage totes, or large plastics that are not a food, beverage, or household container or rigid package.

YES: White rigid Styrofoam pieces, no longer than 90cm x 60cm x 20 cm (35" x 23.5" x 7.75").

NO: Coloured or dyed Styrofoam of any size, popcorn Styrofoam, or flexible Styrofoam.

YES: clear and coloured glass bottles and jars. Return beer and alcohol bottles to The Beer Store or LCBO for a refund.

NO: broken glass, window panes, mirrors, light bulbs, ceramics, drinking glasses.

YES: metal food and beverage cans. Metal lids can be placed inside a can and pinched shut. Labels do not need to be removed. Paper cans with metal ends (i.e., coffee cans, chip cans, nut cans, frozen juice cans, etc.)

NO: Aerosol or paint cans, cooking pots or pans, foil wrap, paper-backed foil (such as takeout container lids), or foil laminates (potato chip bags)

Grey bins

YES: newspaper, white paper, coloured paper, colour flyers, catalogues, telephone books, soft cover books, magazines, envelopes, and hard cover books with the cover removed. Place in a clean, untied grocery or paper bag or tie in bundles. This stops the paper from blowing away.

NO: gift wrap.

YES: grocery bags, milk bags/pouches, frozen vegetable bags, and newspaper sleeves. Place all clean bags into an empty bag and tie shut.

NO: cereal/cracker box liners, plastic food wrap, zipper-type storage bags, diapers, meat/bacon packaging, "crinkly" outer packaging (such as pasta bags), pet food bags, or bubble wrap.

YES: cereal boxes, cracker boxes, frozen food boxes, egg cartons, paper towel tubes, drink trays, greeting cards.

Polycoat: Rinse and flatten milk cartons, juice cartons, and Tetra Pak juice boxes. Place together with boxboard.

Boxboard: flatten and bundle or place inside another box.

Remove staples and tape. Flatten and bundle no bigger than 0.9m x 0.6m x 0.08m (36" x 24" x 8"). Tie bundles with string. There is limit of six bundles per collection. Place bundles beside your Grey Box.

NO: wax-coated boxes or soiled pizza boxes.

Other disposal types

Hazardous waste, battery recycling and electronic waste are handled separately. Further information on these types of waste is available on our Other Disposal Types page.