Saint John

You are still able to recycle the packaging and paper materials in the same way you currently do.  There are no changes to the bins you currently use (blue and green).  

Along with the transition of curbside recycling services, Circular Materials is partnering with a network of Eastern Recyclers Association redemption centres to support the recycling of additional materials. This includes glass, flexible plastics, beverage cardboard and white polystyrene foam. Learn more at circularmaterials.ca/redemptioncentres.  

Following transition in 2027, residents can expect a convenient and consistent recycling program across the province. Services will be expanded to those that receive garbage curbside collection, and to multi-unit dwellings.   

• Starting May 1, 2024, recycling collection will take place during the day instead of overnight. Please ensure bins are at the curb by 6 a.m. on your collection day.  
• Recycling collection day will likely shift for many residents. Residents can check their collection day and learn more at circularmaterials.ca/saintjohn.  

• New recycling guide and new calendar will be made available for download.  
• Printed version will be sent out to each resident soon. The City will have some copies on hand.   
• Info to be updated in Recollect app as soon as possible.  

• You may hear about the changes taking place for recycling collection in Saint John through social media, radio, newsletter, etc.  

Please contact Miller Waste at 1-833-644-1163 or nb@millerwaste.ca.  

Their hours of customer service are 7:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday.  

If you have questions about the Saint John recycling program, would like to report an incident with  the service provider Miller Waste, or need to escalate an inquiry, you can reach out directly to Circular Materials at: 

English inquiries:  customerservice@circularmaterials.ca or 1-877-667-2626.   

French inquiries: serviceclientele@circularmaterials.ca or 1-877-667-2626. 
 
Circular Materials will respond within one business day for general inquiries and within two hours for service alerts.  

• New Brunswickers can now bring glass, flexible plastics, ancillary cardboard and expanded polystyrene foam to one of several redemption centres. More details can be found at: www.circularmaterials.ca/redemptioncentres. 
• This collaboration with the Eastern Recyclers Association will provide New Brunswickers a convenient way to recycle materials that have not been part of the program previously.  

Circular Materials is a not-for-profit organization that is committed to building an efficient and effective recycling system in New Brunswick. As recycling in the province transitions to EPR, Circular Materials supports brand owners in delivering a best-in-class system that continues to provide recycling services to residents and meet their obligations under the Designated Material Regulation.   

Learn more about Circular Materials at www.circularmaterials.ca/NB.   

The head office of Circular Materials is in Toronto. The organization has employees across the country with local knowledge and expertise, including some who are from and based in New Brunswick.  

Historically, New Brunswick’s packaging and paper recycling program was operated and funded by entities. Now, under the Designated Materials Regulation, New Brunswick is transitioning to a new model where brand owners – the organizations that produce packaging and paper materials – are 100% responsible for operating and funding recycling the province’s program. Circular Materials is the organization responsible for ensuring producers meet their regulatory requirements. 

The transition to EPR began in November 2023 and will take place over three years. During the transition, New Brunswick residents will not experience changes to their collection day or the materials they can recycle. When transition to EPR is complete in 2027, residents can expect a convenient and consistent recycling program across the province.  

• New Brunswick is moving to EPR as per the province’s Designated Materials Regulation.  EPR is recognized as one of the most effective ways to improve recycling rates and advance a circular economy where materials are reintegrated into the system and used multiple times.  
• Under the Regulation, the financial and operational responsibility for recycling system will shift from municipalities to producers.    
• To support a seamless transition for residents, Circular Materials has been working closely with municipalities transitioning to EPR on November 1 of 2023 and are continuing to engage with municipalities and stakeholders in New Brunswick.  
• Between 2024 and 2027, the program will be rolled out in schools and public spaces across the province with the full transition to EPR to be complete by 2027.  
• When the province moves to full EPR in 2027, changes to the system will include increased standard levels, and a unified recycling material list across the province.  

Extended producer responsibility, or EPR, is a policy approach in which producers – the businesses that supply packaging and paper – are financially responsible and accountable for those materials over their full life cycle.  Recycling programs founded on the principles of EPR improve recycling rates and support innovation, supply chain synergies, and encourage the efficient use of materials. EPR is recognized as one of the most effective ways to improve recycling rates and advance a circular economy where materials are looped back into the system and used again and again. 

Circular Materials is proud to be advancing the circular economy across Canada – where materials are collected, recycled and returned to producers for use as recycled content in new products and packaging. As an organization focused on building efficient and effective recycling systems across the country, we ensure more materials are looped into the circular economy, benefiting both people and the environment.