Significant changes are on the horizon for blue box recycling operations in Ontario, particularly affecting Quinte Waste Solutions. For 35 years, Quinte Waste Solutions has been serving the community, but this chapter will come to an end on July 17, 2025, when they will cease operations entirely at their 270 West Street location in Quinte West. GFL Environmental Services, which currently handles the collection and processing of blue box materials, will no longer participate in this role.
E360 Solutions, based at 50 Mineral Road in Belleville, has been selected to assume the responsibility of collecting blue box recycling materials. They will deliver these materials to the HGC Receiving Facility located at 555 Station Street, Belleville. This shift in operational responsibility comes after Circular Materials Ontario chose E360 Solutions to oversee blue box recycling for a number of municipalities. The municipalities that have formed agreements with E360 Solutions are all members of the Centre and South Hastings Waste Services Board, which supervises Quinte Waste Solutions. This board is comprised of nine municipalities: Belleville, Quinte West, Prince Edward County, Centre Hastings, Tyendinaga Township, Marmora and Lake, Tweed, Madoc Township, and Stirling-Rawdon.
The transition period will see several key changes leading up to the July 17, 2025 date. For instance, services for hosted events will be discontinued on March 31, 2025, and the Recycling Depot at 270 West Street will shut down operations on June 30, 2025. Despite these changes, the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Depot situated at 75 Wallbridge Crescent, Belleville, will continue its operations. Additionally, it will hold nineteen mobile events throughout the nine-member communities in 2025 to ensure that hazardous and electronic waste collection remains accessible to residents.
In essence, the forthcoming cessation of blue box operations by Quinte Waste Solutions and their subsequent replacement by E360 Solutions signifies a substantial shift in how recycling services will be managed. The closure and relocation of recycling depots are part of a broader strategy aimed at optimizing and consolidating waste management services for the member municipalities. This restructuring is anticipated to bring about a more efficient and streamlined approach to blue box recycling across Ontario.
