Each household received a standard-issued 360-litre wheeled, lidded recycling cart designed to hold two weeks of recyclables and accommodate a broader range of accepted materials.
Following community feedback, in December 2025, we launched a Recycling Cart Request Form for Stratford residents to request and exchange for a smaller 240-litre recycling cart by February 16, 2026.
Please note, we are not accepting exchange request forms at this time but if you have questions or concerns about carts and cart exchanges, please contact our collection contractor Emterra at cartrequeststratford@emterra.ca.
The timeline for the exchange of smaller 240-litre carts is scheduled for the end of February. Residents who requested a smaller cart will be contacted directly by our local collection contractor Emterra. For more information, please contact Emterra at customercareont@emterra.ca or 1-888-597-1541.
Following community feedback, in December 2025, we launched a Recycling Cart Request Form for Stratford residents to request and exchange for a smaller 240-litre recycling cart by February 16, 2026. Please note, as this deadline has now passed, we will not be accepting exchange requests at this time. For more information on carts and cart exchanges, please contact our collection contractor Emterra at cartrequeststratford@emterra.ca.
As 120-litre recycling carts are not compatible with the local collection contractor trucks, the smallest recycling cart available is the 246-litre cart.
No. There will be no changes to your recycling collection day or frequency.
If the volume of blue box material generated by a residence consistently exceeds the capacity of the containers provided, resident can submit a Recycling Container Request Form to apply for an additional container.
We recommend using your 360-litre recycling cart for a period of 90 days to understand your needs before requesting a smaller container size. It is common for a residence to experience significant seasonal variability in recycling needs and increased volume over the holiday period. Blue box materials, particularly cardboard, must be broken down and flattened to support using the space efficiently.
It is important that this only applies to households with a 360-litre recycling cart. A second cart will not be provided for households who request an exchange for the smaller 246 litre size recycling cart.
Residents are asked to use their current blue boxes until the end of the year. Starting January 1, 2026, residents are required to use their new recycling cart. Residents can choose to re-purpose their old boxes, such as using them as storage containers.
A full list of materials that can be recycled can be found here. Starting January 1, 2026, you will be able to recycle the same materials no matter where you are in the province. The list of materials accepted for recycling has also expanded to include additional items such as hot and cold beverage cups, black plastic containers, frozen juice containers, ice cream tubs, deodorant and toothpaste tubes.
Anyone experiencing a permanent or temporary physical disability that restricts their ability to set out their recycling cart at the curbside may be eligible for assisted collection service. Please note, a physician’s note is required to apply for this assisted service. For more information, please visit our website to access the Special Accommodation Recycling Collection Application Form.
As of January 1, 2026, Emterra will be the collection contractor for Stratford. They can be reached at customercareont@emterra.ca or 1-888-597-1541.
The RFID (radio-frequency identification) tag on your cart helps ensure your recycling cart is correctly registered to your address. This technology helps prevent lost or misplaced carts and supports efficient service delivery. The tag does not collect any personal information or track your activities.
