Upcoming changes to waste collection

Updated August 5, 2025
February 25, 2025

What's new

Oxford County's new Wasteline newsletter is here

The first issue highlights key changes coming in 2026, including the rollout of green bin collection and a shift to six-day waste collection in South-West Oxford and Woodstock. It also highlights the transition to a new province-wide blue box program for all Oxford County residents, and introduces a County-led curbside recycling program for businesses and institutions not included in the new provincial system. Watch for it in your mailbox.

Read the newsletter online
Read the news release

Register your business for recycling services

When responsibility for providing recycling services shifts to Circular Materials under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act on January 1, 2026, many small businesses, commercial and institutional properties, and not-for-profit/public sector organizations that are part of the current municipal program will not be eligible for recycling pick-up under the new provincial program.

Oxford County Council is considering a curbside recycling collection program for this sector. Businesses and other organizations are invited to complete an online registration form to confirm their interest in this service. There is no user fee for approved participants to take part in this program, which would begin the week of January 5, 2026, in all eight area municipalities. More

What's changing in 2026 and 2027

If you live in Oxford County, you'll see several changes to waste collection services beginning in 2026. Please check this page often for news and updates.

New organics (green bin) program

This new program will collect food scraps and other biodegradable waste as part of the residential curbside collection program.
When they join the program, each Oxford County residence will receive a 7-litre kitchen container to collect food scraps and a 45-litre green bin to set out at the curb on collection day.
Organics collection starts in South-West Oxford and Woodstock in January 2026. Residents living in these municipalities will receive their green bin containers and more information this fall.
All other area municipalities (Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Norwich, Ingersoll, Tillsonburg and Zorra) begin organic collection in May 2027.

Six-day collection cycles

As of January 2026, both the City of Woodstock and the Township of South-West Oxford will be under a six-day cycle for co-collection (pick up at the same time) of garbage and organic waste. South-West Oxford currently follows a six-day cycle for garbage collection.
Under this type of schedule, your collection day moves one day forward from week to week, skipping weekends and holidays.
Annual collection calendars will be mailed out to residents ahead of time and automatic reminders will be available through the Wasteline mobile app.
In May of 2027, Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Norwich, Ingersoll, Tillsonburg and Zorra will move to a six-day cycle for co-collection of garbage and organics.

Recycling

Under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, responsibility for providing recycling services has now shifted to the producers (retailers, manufacturers, etc.) that create products and packaging. This change began in July 2023 and takes effect in Oxford County on January 1, 2026. Visit Blue Box - RPRA to learn more.
More information and a list acceptable materials for the new blue box program will be sent to homes from Circular Materials this fall.
Recycling pick-up days are directed by Circular Materials and may be different from garbage and green bin collection days.
The new province-wide recycling program for Ontario only collects recycling from residential properties. To continue to provide recycling collection to small businesses and other organizations, Oxford County is starting a new recycling collection program for these groups. Learn more and register here

Where to find more information

Oxford County is responsible for waste collection services across Oxford's local area municipalities. In the Township of South-West Oxford and the City of Woodstock, this service is contracted out to the local municipality. In all other municipalities, Oxford contracts this service to a third-party vendor, currently Emterra Environmental. Learn more and watch for updates from the following resources.