Published: June 1, 2026

2025 Annual Report, Auditor General Recommendations Tracker, and additional public reporting data now available

The report highlights RPRA’s key 2025 activities in compliance and enforcement, communications, public reporting, stakeholder engagement, service delivery, financial performance, and audited financial statements.

RPRA's website with additional resources

Read the Report here

Overview
The Carton Council works to expand the collection, sorting, and end markets for food and beverage cartons across the United States and Canada. One important way to strengthen carton recycling is by supporting schools in establishing and improving recycling programs to recover more recyclable cartons.

Through this grant program, the Carton Council provides financial assistance to K-12 schools to help implement, expand, or enhance carton recycling programs in cafeterias and other areas where food and beverage cartons are consumed. In 2026, the program will prioritize schools located in communities with newly available or recently expanded carton recycling access, helping to reinforce these programs and ensure cartons are consistently captured and recycled.

Funded projects support real-world recycling by increasing participation and ensuring cartons are successfully recovered and delivered to recycling end markets where they can be made into new products.

Read more about eligibility and to apply click here.

Published online: April 22, 2026

Written by: Carton Council of Canada

Across Canada, recycling systems for packaging and paper products – including food and beverage cartons – continued to evolve in the past twelve months, with provinces at various stages of implementing or refining extended producer responsibility (EPR) curbside collection and deposit return programs. From Ontario’s completion of its historic blue box transition to launches in Alberta, Nova Scotia and the Yukon, it was another year of significant milestones. Here’s our annual overview of where things stand, province by province.

Read the full article here. 

Published Online: April 20, 2026

Written by: Rachel Kagan (PPEC)

Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ) recently released its 2025 Review on the Modernized Curbside Recycling System, representing the first full year operating under a full Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model, where producers are responsible for both funding and operating the packaging recycling system.

While Québec has had a legislated packaging EPR program in place for decades, it was under a shared responsibility model where municipalities operated recycling systems as the designated service providers, while producers – businesses that put packaging on the market in Québec – funded the costs of operating the program.

Read the full article here. 

Published Online: February 24, 2026

Written by: Stephanie Bontorin

"Recycle BC, the not-for-profit organization responsible for residential packaging and paper product recycling throughout British Columbia, has officially created a new pathway for apartments and condos in the City of Vancouver to recycle flexible plastics. Residents can now use the bright pink flexible plastics carts located in the recycling area of communal buildings.

Residents living in apartment and condo buildings are encouraged to start putting out flexible plastics for collection by placing accepted materials into the pink cart located at their building. Collection takes place weekly, on the same day as other recycling services. ..."

Read the full article here

Published Online: February 25, 2026

Written by: Rachel Kagan, Paper & Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council

"On January 30, 2026, the Federal Court of Appeal upheld the federal government’s decision to list “plastic manufactured items” as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). As a result of the unanimous decision, Canada’s Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations remains in effect, maintaining the ban on the manufacture and sale of single-use plastic items.

The decision provides long-awaited clarity by confirming that the legal foundation for the federal plastics ban is reasonable and will remain in force. ..."

Read the full blog article here. 

Published Online: February 24, 2026

Written by Waste Advantage Magazine

"Keurig Canada Inc., operating as Keurig Dr Pepper Canada, and Circular Materials announced that all empty K-Cup® pods produced by KDP Canada, across its owned, licensed and partner brands, are now accepted for recycling at home in Ontario’s Blue Box Program. This marks an important advancement in the province’s transition to a new and enhanced extended producer responsibility (EPR) recycling system for packaging and paper products. The program is 100% funded by producers – the companies that supply packaging and paper products to consumers in Ontario, including the familiar brands and retailers residents interact with every day. This means municipalities and taxpayers no longer pay for recycling services. ..."

Read the full article here.

Published Online: February 17, 2026

Written by: Waste & Recycling News Staff

"Ecolomondo Corporation announced it has secured $2.7 million in additional financing to support the final stage of the ramp-up of operations at its Hawkesbury tire-derived products (TDP) facility.

The Company previously announced on January 12, 2026, that it had reached an agreement in principle with Export Development Canada (EDC) for the financing to support additional capital investments and working capital requirements at the Hawkesbury, Ontario facility. In addition to the financing, EDC has agreed to a temporary principal and interest payment holiday on existing loans during the company’s 2026 operational ramp-up period.

The Hawkesbury TDP facility achieved record production during the week of January 12, 2026. During that period, the facility processed approximately 150,000 pounds (6,800 kg) of crumb rubber, producing approximately 60,000 pounds (27,205 kg) of recovered carbon black, 75,000 pounds (34,019 kg) of tire-derived oil, and 15,000 pounds (6,800 kg) of syngas, representing the processing of approximately 9,375 scrap tires. ..."

Read the full article here

Published Online: February 5, 2026

Written by: Stephanie Bontorin

"As of the beginning of 2026, households across Ontario will benefit from a new producer-funded, province-wide recycling program that makes it easier to recycle more materials. WM is supporting this enhanced system with two new processing facilities, which are now open and have begun operations in Cambridge and the Greater Napanee area.

What's improved with the new recycling system?
With capacity to support the processing of approximately 30 percent of Ontario's total blue box volumes, these facilities have a critical role in helping to optimize the province's new recycling system. These new sites will help streamline processes, particularly as Circular Materials rolls out a new unified material list across the province which expands the number of items that can be recycled. Now Ontarians, no matter where they live in the province, can recycle the same items, including hot and cold beverage cups (coffee cups), black plastic containers, frozen juice containers, ice cream tubs, toothpaste tubes, deodorant, and more. A unified and enhanced system will help make it easier for residents to recycle more materials, improving recovery rates. ..."

Read the full article here.

Published Online: February 3, 2026

Written by: Recycling Product News Staff

"On Friday, January 30, the Federal Court of Appeal upheld its decision to list plastic manufactured items as a "toxic substance" under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act,1999 (CEPA).

This listing enables the federal government to regulate plastic products, including through the Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations. In its decision, the Court found the government's approach to be reasonable, recognizing that plastics have the potential to cause harm to both human health and the environment.

As a result of this ruling, the federal ban on six categories of single-use plastics remains in effect:
Bags
Straws
Stir sticks
Cutlery
Ring carriers
Certain takeout containers ..."

Read the full article here.

Canada’s Reality: The Case AGAINST a Home Compostable Certification Program in Canada

Published: January 29, 2026

Received by MWA via email from Compost Council of Canada

Compost Council of Canada email: info@compost.org

The Compost Council of Canada has long championed backyard (home) composting, believing that it is a meaningful, hands-on way for people to participate in the full cycle of organics recycling. Through this simple, empowering practice, unavoidable organic residuals are transformed into compost — essential organic matter that builds healthy soil, strengthens soil structure and supports long-term soil vitality.
 
While our Council, for well over 25 years, has been actively involved in spearheading certified compostable claims for industrial composting, we have never advocated nor supported compostable certification focused on backyard composting, believing that a home-compostable certification is misaligned with Canada’s reality, be it our climate, infrastructure and/or stated regulatory direction.
 
Because of this reality, our Council strongly opposes any intent by brand owners and packaging suppliers to use a home-compostable claim in the Canadian marketplace.
 
Why Home‑Compostable Certification Is Inappropriate for Canada
 
1.  Absence of a Canadian standard for backyard compostable claims. Current internationally-available certification standards are laboratory-based, using ambient temperature parameters (25° ± 5° C) for up to 180 consecutive days. These laboratory standards do not match real-life weather conditions anywhere in Canada.
 
2.  Risk to finished compost quality and system confidence: The introduction of materials that fail to disintegrate appropriately results in contamination, increased screening burdens and reduced confidence among compost users. There is a significant credibility risk when real-world conditions do not align with laboratory testing parameters, with the potential for consumers to lose confidence not only in these internationally-certified materials but in composting systems as a whole. Misaligned expectations hinder participation and damage the reputation of both municipal-industrial and home composting programs.
 
3.  With the advent of curbside organics recycling programs and the fact that more and more Canadians are now living in multi-unit residences, there is ever-declining, ongoing participation in backyard composting across Canada¹, severely limiting the applicability of this claim in real-world conditions.
 
The Compost Council of Canada has been strongly supportive of the intent of the Government of Canada’s 2023 regulatory initiative, designed to fix the weak/non-existent regulatory oversight on false labelling claims (Developing labelling rules for plastic packaging and single-use plastics - Canada.ca). Their intended direction clearly stated that compostable labelling claims for “home” or “backyard” would be prohibited. It is our expectation that this regulation will continue to move forward once current legal dynamics between the Government of Canada and the Plastics Industry are resolved.
 
In the interest of aligning with Canadian climatic conditions as well as the other above-stated reasons, we urge members of the packaging industry and associated certification bodies to avoid undermining consumer confidence and the hard work of organics recycling advocates and programs by introducing home compostable claims in Canada.

 
¹. According to Statistics Canada, there is a serious decline in backyard composting across Canada (down -25 points (-51%) for kitchen waste and -13 points (-38%) for yard waste to a 24% and 21% participation rate respectively in 2023 versus 2009) due to the significant increase in mandatory SSO and L&Y waste programs operated by Canadian Municipalities. Source: Statistics Canada Composting practices of Canadian households

Published Online: January 27, 2026

Written by: Elena Kryvoshei

"Through organic waste landfill alternatives, New York transforms 100 to 250 tons of daily organic material into nutrient-rich compost that improves soil health across the five boroughs.

New York City has pioneered organic waste landfill alternatives by turning food scraps and yard waste into a thriving composting operation that keeps material out of landfills while creating free fertilizer for residents. The program processed nearly 6 million pounds of compost this year alone, transforming what was once trash into valuable soil.

The city now requires all residents to separate food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard waste from regular garbage. Items like watermelon rinds, greasy pizza boxes, and grass clippings get a second life instead of rotting in landfills where they release harmful gases into the atmosphere. ..."

Read the full article here.

Published Online: January 16, 2026

Written by: David Rider

The curbside confusion and clutter that has marked the rocky road to privatized recycling continues — and seems to have spread to the city’s Christmas tree collection.

And issues aren’t isolated to Toronto.

Peel region residents are learning that, as of March 1, they will no longer be able to put out extra clear bags and boxes beside blue bins — a change that Mississauga’s mayor predicts could cause people to dump their overflow recycling into the garbage.

The Star has chronicled how, since industry-funded non-profit Circular Materials took over recycling in Ontario on Jan. 1, at the direction of Premier Doug Ford’s government, residents have reported missed collections, unanswered calls to the customer help line, conflicting advice and an app telling homeowners to put out recycling on the wrong day. ..." 

Click here to read the full article. 

Published Online: December 16, 2025

Written by: Stephanie Bontorin

"The Canadian Association of Recycling Industries (CARI) has formed a new federal advocacy partnership with PAA Advisory | Conseils to strengthen government relations and policy engagement for Canada's recycled materials sector.

As part of the collaboration, members will gain access to new engagement opportunities, government relations education, and clearer, more timely communication on federal policy developments. The partnership will also support CARI's first Parliament Hill Day in 2026, open to all members. ..."

Read the full article here.

Published Online: December 10, 2025

Written by: Waste Advantage Magazine

"As Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs roll out across seven U.S. states and several more conduct needs assessments, the Closed Loop Center for the Circular Economy, through its Composting Consortium, has released a new report highlighting a major opportunity to strengthen EPR in the U.S.: the inclusion of compostable packaging and composting.

The framework is published on the heels of recently released findings on the recoverability of compostable packaging. The Composting Consortium’s extensive in-field testing with U.S. composters in 2024 demonstrated high disintegration levels for certified compostable packaging at composting facilities that meet reasonable operational parameters in the U.S., highlighting the role this packaging type plays in diverting food from landfills. ..."

Read the full article here.

Published Online: November 25, 2025

Written by: Recycling Product News Staff

"Waste is a story about the loss of power more than merely an environmental crisis, according to the Global Recycling Foundation.

As the world discards valuable resources, those countries which are focusing on advanced recycling processes will dominate.

Global Recyclinng Foundation leader speaks at UN's climate change conference

Speaking to mark the opening of COP30, the UN's climate change conference in Brazil, Ranjit Baxi, founder of Global Recycling Foundation and Global Recycling Day, said: "Waste is a valuable currency. In time it will be more precious than land or oil because we are squandering the materials upon which the world is increasingly relying — copper, lithium, nickel, and aluminium. ..."

Read the full article here.

Published Online: December 1, 2025

Written by: Corbin Olson

"From adjusted brand commitments, rising regulatory requirements, evolving macroeconomic headwinds, and shifting trade dynamics, stakeholders of the recycled plastics industry are faced with various priorities to juggle going into 2026. Trade tariffs were one of the most prominent topics that dominated market discussions throughout 2025, as trade continues to play a pivotal role within the global plastics recycling industry.

Even without the looming tariff question, stakeholders have had their hands full with several legacy challenges — namely tight margins, material oversupply, and thinning demand. However, as global trade tensions have ratcheted up, the macro uncertainty the recycled plastics industry faces is unlike anything we have seen before."

Read the full article here.

Published Online: November 14, 2025

Written by: Haban, Kasimi

"Seven U.S. states (Maine, Oregon, Colorado, California, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington) have enacted EPR laws with registration and reporting scheduled for later this year and over the next two years. Connecticut and Nebraska have proposed HB 5019 and LB36 for safe battery collection and recycling. EPR legislation in the remaining states is being assessed.

In Canada, new EPR changes, especially for packaging materials, are expected by the end of 2025, with Alberta, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and the Yukon at the forefront. .."

Read the full article here.

Published Online: November 13. 2025

Written by: Stephanie Bontorin

"EPR represents a fundamental shift in how recycling is managed in Nova Scotia. Under this model, producers — the businesses that supply packaging and paper to residents — will fund and manage the collection and recycling of these materials. This approach enhances efficiency, drives innovation, and ensures materials are collected, recycled, and reintroduced into the economy to be used again and again.

Beginning December 1, Nova Scotia will transition to EPR, with Circular Materials assuming responsibility for the residential recycling program across the province. As part of this transition, Circular Materials will also begin collecting recyclable materials from multi-family dwellings, schools, and campgrounds throughout Nova Scotia. ..."

Read the full article here

Published Online: October 1, 2025

Written by: Rachel Kagan

"Recycling takeaway coffee cups has long been a challenge. Most are made from paperboard lined with a thin layer of plastic or polyethylene to resist liquids, and this lining can make it more difficult to process in recycling systems. As a result, cups have often been excluded from municipal curbside recycling programs.

But that’s beginning to change with the move to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), where producers become financially and operationally responsible for recycling. Many Canadian provinces are introducing, or transitioning to, full EPR programs, which includes rethinking how certain types of packaging are collected, processed, and ultimately recycled – starting with the takeaway coffee cup. ..."

Read the full blog article here. 

Published Online: October 30, 2025

Written by: Stephanie Bontorin

"Experts in the recycling industry are all too familiar with the unique challenges that come with convincing the public and private sectors that recycling is worth doing well. However, recycling professionals also know that recycling is a unique and changing landscape — new technologies, methodologies, and public outreach programs can change trusted systems in a heartbeat.

Industry insiders looking to learn more about other corners of the industry — or dive deeper into their own — can lean on these podcasts focusing on the historical problems and future opportunities in plastics, metals, scrap, paper, and more.

Some continue to release new episodes, while others have wrapped their series, but all provide insights that remain relevant long after they first aired. Tuning in gives you the chance to explore complex topics, learn from experienced voices, and refresh your understanding of recycling practices, technologies, and trends shaping the field today. Whether you listen during your commute, at the office, or in the field, these podcasts make it easy to stay connected to the broader industry conversation. ..."

Read the full article here.

Published Online: November 6, 2025

Written by: Stephanie Bontorin

"Based on a national survey of more than 1,000 consumers and immersive behavioural research in various U.S. markets, the report highlights how positive emotions, everyday rituals, and competing priorities shape recycling while identifying opportunities to make recycling easier, more convenient, and more impactful. It also shows that consumers often favour companies with recycling commitments — such as those that use recycled content in products or businesses that make recycling available.

"The 2025 WM Recycling Report shows us that to truly close the gap between intention and action, recycling providers, consumer packaged goods companies, and municipalities need to meet people where they are and understand what influences them to recycle," said Tara Hemmer, chief sustainability officer, WM. "At WM, we are investing in technology, infrastructure and education to help turn good recycling intentions into real, lasting impact — all while working with companies to help them maintain their recycled content commitments and with municipalities to increase recycling access in communities." ..." 

Read the full article here.

Published Online: September 29, 2025

Written by: Audrey Trevarthan

"A recent report has determined the economic impact of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (MassDEP) ban on commercial food waste disposal. This initiative has contributed to the state’s economy, generating jobs and revenue.

In October 2014, MassDEP amended its existing waste ban regulations, adding commercial organic material to the list of materials banned from disposal in Massachusetts.

In November 2022, the waste ban regulations were amended again, lowering the quantity of organic material businesses and institutions are allowed to dispose of every year. The new rules lowered the threshold from one ton of food waste a week to half a ton a week.

According to the report, the ban has:
· created 1,676 jobs, resulting in $143 million in labor income;
· generated an additional $194 million in economic value; and
· cumulatively generated more than $390 million in industry activity. ..."

Read or listen to the full article here.

Published: September 2025

Written by: SWANA 

"The Solid Waste Association of North America's (SWANA) Applied Research Foundation (ARF) has released a new report, Best Practices for Reducing Curbside Recycling Contamination and Code Enforcement, providing waste and recycling managers with guidance to improve recycling quality while addressing enforcement challenges.

The report examines the challenge of contamination in curbside recycling programs, referring to materials placed in bins that are not accepted by the local recycling program, and offers practical strategies to reduce contamination. The report includes data on the costs of contamination as well as strategies for outreach and enforcement. ..."

Read the article here

Download the report here (fees apply)

Published Online: September 17, 2025

Written by: Recycle Product News Staff

"E-waste recycling solutions company ecoATM is expanding its North American footprint into the Canadian market at a time when governments and businesses are placing greater emphasis on electronics recovery.

The Canadian rollout began with ecoATM activating kiosks at Walmart locations in Ontario, including Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, and Burlington. Kiosks went live the week of August 25, 2025, with grand opening events scheduled for September.

The expansion reflects growing demand for accessible recycling options and positions ecoATM within a rapidly evolving circular economy market where retailers are increasingly expected to provide sustainable consumer services. ..."

Read the full article here.