If you live in Markham and have not updated your recycling habits recently, now is the time. The City of Markham has expanded its blue box recycling program for 2026, adding several new items that were previously not accepted. The changes mean that materials many residents have been throwing in the garbage can now go in the blue box, reducing landfill waste and making spring cleaning a little more sustainable.
The expanded list is part of Ontario's broader transition under the Blue Box Regulation, which is shifting the responsibility and cost of recycling from municipalities to the producers of packaging and printed paper products. The result for residents is a simpler, more inclusive recycling system that accepts a wider range of materials than ever before.
New Items You Can Now Recycle in Markham
As of 2026, the following items have been added to Markham's blue box accepted materials list:
- Black plastic containers: Previously rejected by many recycling sorting systems because optical scanners could not detect them, black plastic containers are now accepted in Markham's blue box. This includes black takeout containers, black produce trays, and other black plastic packaging.
- Coffee cups: Single-use paper coffee cups, which contain a thin plastic lining that previously made them difficult to recycle, are now accepted. This applies to cups from coffee shops and fast food restaurants.
- Frozen juice containers: The wax-coated containers used for frozen juice concentrate are now recyclable in the blue box.
- Ice cream tubs: Plastic ice cream tubs, which are often made from a different type of plastic than standard containers, are now accepted.
- Deodorant and toothpaste tubes: These personal care product tubes can now go in the blue box rather than the garbage.
- Snack wrappers: This is one of the more surprising additions. Chip bags, candy bar wrappers, and similar flexible snack packaging, which were previously non-recyclable in virtually every municipal program in Ontario, are now accepted in Markham's blue box.
- Styrofoam: Perhaps the most significant addition. Styrofoam, or expanded polystyrene, has long been one of the most difficult materials to recycle. It is now accepted in the blue box, eliminating one of the most common sources of confusion for residents trying to sort their waste correctly.
What Was Already Accepted
The new items join an already extensive list of accepted blue box materials. Residents should continue to recycle the following:
Plastics
All rigid plastic containers, including food containers, bottles, jars, and trays. Plastic bags, including grocery bags and bread bags, can also go in the blue box, though the city recommends stuffing them together into one bag rather than placing them loose.
Paper and Cardboard
Newspapers, magazines, flyers, office paper, envelopes, greeting cards, file folders, cereal boxes, shoe boxes, and corrugated cardboard. Paper of any colour is accepted, including flour bags and prescription bags from pharmacies.
Cartons
Beverage cartons, juice and milk cartons, coffee creamers, sugar cartons, and soup and sauce cartons. These are the Tetra Pak-style containers that are increasingly common in grocery stores.
Metal
Aluminum cans, tin cans, foil trays, and clean aluminum foil. Empty aerosol cans are also accepted.
Glass
Glass bottles and jars of all colours.
What Still Cannot Go in the Blue Box
Despite the expanded list, some items still need to be handled separately:
- Batteries: Alkaline batteries can be dropped off at Markham's Recycling Depots and Drop-off Centres. Lithium-ion batteries, which are found in phones, laptops, and power tools, must go to York Region's Hazardous Waste Depot due to the fire risk they pose in recycling trucks and sorting facilities.
- Electronics: New for 2026, electronics must now be dropped off at Markham's Recycling Depots rather than placed at the curb. This includes old phones, tablets, computers, and small appliances with electronic components.
- Textiles: Clothing, shoes, curtains, rugs, and other fabric items should be placed in one of the over 160 textile donation bins located at public access points across Markham. Check the City of Markham website for the nearest bin.
- Hazardous materials: Paint, chemicals, motor oil, and other hazardous household waste must be taken to York Region's Hazardous Waste Depots.
Blue Box Replacement
If your blue box is cracked, broken, or you need an additional one, the process for getting a replacement has changed. Rather than contacting the City of Markham directly, residents should now contact Miller Waste at 1-855-752-3762 or by email at area10@millerwaste.ca. Miller Waste manages waste collection for the city and can arrange for new or replacement blue boxes to be delivered to your address.
Spring Cleaning Tip
With spring cleaning season underway, the expanded blue box rules make it easier to sort through accumulated household items responsibly. As you clear out cupboards, bathrooms, and storage areas, sort materials into three streams: blue box recyclables, textile donations, and items for the waste depot. This approach ensures that as much material as possible is diverted from landfill.
The Markham Public Library has also published a helpful guide on its website covering recycling best practices, which includes the full list of accepted materials and tips for preparing items for recycling. Items should be empty and rinsed when possible, but they do not need to be spotless.
For more local news, practical guides, and community updates across Markham and Richmond Hill, visit MarkhamBusiness.com.