ONE thousand Norfolk businesses, municipal facilities, churches, daycares and commercial farms must arrange and pay for their own blue box recycling starting Jan. 1.

The Ontario government has changed who’s responsible for blue box recycling.

When blue boxes began in the province 30 years go, municipalities paid for the service to all properties.

But starting in 2016, Ontario gradually made packaging producers responsible for recycling.

Producer Responsibility Organizations will take over household recycling in January.

But the PROs, with the Doug Ford government’s blessing, have balked at collecting industrial, commercial and institutional recycling.

Which means “non-eligible” properties must arrange and pay for their own recycling arrangements.

Last Tuesday, county councillors budgeted $162,000 next year to recycle waste at Norfolk’s 70 municipal facilities, including libraries and arenas.

But more than 900 businesses, churches and other “non-eligible” properties must make their own arrangements.

Port Dover Coun. Adam Veri lost his bid to have Norfolk look at providing blue box service to all properties.

He questioned a staff estimate of $450,000 a year to provide the service.

Coun. Veri figured the cost could be as low as $200,000 a year, which would be a worthwhile service.

Mayor Amy Martin disagreed.

She said it was a provincial decision to cut back blue box service, saving county taxpayers $163,900 next year.

Councillors can look at the issue again in six months after they see if the private sector has stepped up to look after recycling, she said.

A look at 13 Ontario municipalities found them almost evenly split on providing recycling to non-eligible properties.

Seven larger cities such as Toronto and Hamilton will continue to provide the service.

Six smaller municipalities such as Haldimand and Chatham-Kent will not.

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Originally published November 12, 2025