Waste Management

Over the holidays, residences and businesses in Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock (north of Braemar Sideroad), Ingersoll, South-West Oxford, Zorra, and Tillsonburg will have regularly scheduled collections.

Adjusted collection dates in the Townships of Norwich and East Zorra-Tavistock (south of Braemar Sideroad)

Woodstock Residents should refer to the City website https://www.cityofwoodstock.ca/waste for holiday curbside collection information. Details on six-day collection cycles and green bin pickup starting in 2026 can be found in the Wasteline Newsletter arriving by mail this December, or visit the County’s website at www.wasteline.ca. 

Read the news release for information about holiday hours and closures at the Waste Management Facility, Woodstock EnviroDepot and Tillsonburg Transfer Station, and tips to reduce waste this holiday season.

Changes to garbage and recycling collection, and the launch of a green program for organic waste, begin in 2026. Learn more at www.speakup.oxfordcounty.ca/new-waste-collection 
    

UPDATE - Dec 8, 2025 - City of Woodstock and Township of South-West Oxford residents will have same day pick-up for garbage, green bin organics and blue box recycling starting January 2026.

Oxford County and City of Woodstock have been in discussion with Circular Materials-- the province-wide, not-for-profit organization responsible for blue box recycling in the new year-- to align its residential blue box recycling collection with Woodstock and South-West Oxford’s collection for garbage and green bin organics. Read the update in the newsroom

What's changing

	New: Green bin (organics) collection Green bins are used to collect organic waste (food scraps and other biodegradable waste). Collection starts in South-West Oxford and Woodstock in January 2026. All other area municipalities (Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Norwich, Ingersoll, Tillsonburg and Zorra) begin organic collection in May 2027.
	Six-day collection cycles Under this type of schedule, your collection day moves forward one day from week to week, skipping weekends and holidays. Woodstock moves to six-day collection cycle for garbage and green bin collection starting in January 2026. South-West Oxford already follows a six-day collection cycle. Annual collection calendars will be mailed out to residents ahead of time and automatic reminders will be available through the Wasteline mobile app. Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Norwich, Ingersoll, Tillsonburg and Zorra will move to a six-day cycle for garbage and green bin waste in May 2027.
	Garbage collection Bag tag fees increase to $3.00 per bag on January 1, 2026. In South-West Oxford and Woodstock, garbage and organic waste (green bins) will be collected on the same day. Recycling-- which will now be collected by Circular Materials--will follow the same collection schedule so that garbage, green bins and blue bins can all be set out on the same day. In all other Oxford municipalities, garbage and recycling will continue to be picked up on the same day.
	Blue box recycling collection Under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, (External link)responsibility for providing recycling services has now shifted to the producers (retailers, manufacturers, etc.) that create products and packaging. This change began in July 2023 and takes effect in Oxford County on January 1, 2026. Visit Blue Box - RPRA(External link) (External link)to learn more. More information and a list acceptable materials for the new blue box program will be shared by Circular Materials(External link). Visit www.circularmaterials.ca/oxfordcounty(External link) to learn more. The new province-wide recycling program for Ontario only collects recycling from residential properties. To continue to provide recycling collection to small businesses and other organizations, Oxford County is starting a new recycling collection program for these groups. Learn more and register here

The 2026 Oxford County Waste Collection Schedule is now online. The schedule provides collection maps and dates for all eight of Oxford's area municipalities:

• Blandford-Blenheim
• East Zorra-Tavistock
• Ingersoll
• Norwich
• South-West Oxford
• Tillsonburg
• Woodstock
• Zorra

Download the schedule

Green bins and kitchen containers were delivered to homes in Woodstock and South-West Oxford between October and the first week of December (2025). If you have not received your green bin and are on a residential curbside collection route in these communities, please contact Oxford County at info@wasteline.ca or 1-800-755-0394, ext. 3159.

Residents received one 45-litre green bin to set out organic waste at the curb, one 7-litre kitchen container for collecting kitchen scraps, and program information. 

Green bin organics collection will not be available to apartment buildings with six or more units until later in 2026. Residents living above businesses are eligible to receive a green bin, but need to call Oxford County to make arrangements for drop off at 1-800-755-0394 , ext. 3159.

Please note: South-West Oxford and Woodstock start green bin collection in January 2026. All other Oxford municipalities will start green bin collection in May 2027.

Read the news release

Watch for your next copy of the Wasteline newsletter in December. The newsletter will include the 2026 Oxford County Collection Schedule. 

When responsibility for providing recycling services shifts to Circular Materials under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act on January 1, 2026, many small businesses, commercial and institutional properties, and not-for-profit/public sector organizations that are part of the current municipal program will not be eligible for recycling pick-up under the new provincial program.

Oxford County Council is implementing a curbside recycling collection program for this sector. Businesses and other organizations are invited to complete an online registration form to confirm their interest in this service. There is no user fee for approved participants to take part in this program, which would begin the week of January 5, 2026, in all eight area municipalities. More

Garbage bag tag fees in Oxford County will increase from $2.00 a bag to $3.00 effective January 1, 2026. Bag tags have not increased in price since 2014. Since 2021, population growth, fuel and other inflationary costs, and new regulatory requirements have increased waste collection costs at a higher rate than income generated by bag tag fees. 

Oxford County uses a “user pay” system in which all residents pay according to how much waste they produce. This means the County’s garbage collection and disposal costs are 100% funded from bag tags, with budget surpluses or deficits moving into a waste management reserve fund each year. If the curbside garbage collection program were to be funded entirely through taxation, it would increase Oxford County’s general tax levy by almost $5.0 million (5.5% increase). 

Read more about the garbage bag tag fee increase

Oxford County’s waste management programs and facilities continue to operate in compliance with regulatory requirements. The County achieved an overall landfill waste diversion rate for residential and ICI (Industrial, Commercial and Institutional) waste of approximately 45% in 2023. The County’s municipal landfill has an estimated remaining service life of approximately 27 to 32 years.

Read the Annual Waste Management Reports

• This new program will collect food scraps and other biodegradable waste as part of the residential curbside collection program.
• When they join the program, each Oxford County residence will receive a 7-litre kitchen container to collect food scraps and a 45-litre green bin to set out at the curb on collection day.
• Organics collection starts in South-West Oxford and Woodstock in January 2026. Residents living in these municipalities will receive their green bin containers and more information this fall.
• All other area municipalities (Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Norwich, Ingersoll, Tillsonburg and Zorra) begin organic collection in May 2027.

• As of January 2026, both the City of Woodstock and the Township of South-West Oxford will be under a six-day cycle for co-collection (pick up at the same time) of garbage and organic waste. South-West Oxford currently follows a six-day cycle for garbage collection.
• Under this type of schedule, your collection day moves one day forward from week to week, skipping weekends and holidays.
• Annual collection calendars will be mailed out to residents ahead of time and automatic reminders will be available through the Wasteline mobile app. Collection days will also be  posted to the Curbside Collection page.
• In May of 2027, Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Norwich, Ingersoll, Tillsonburg and Zorra will move to a six-day cycle for co-collection of garbage and organics.

Download the Wasteline app to stay up to date on garbage and waste collection schedules

• Under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, responsibility for providing recycling services has now shifted to the producers (retailers, manufacturers, etc.) that create products and packaging. This change began in July 2023 and takes effect in Oxford County on January 1, 2026. Visit Blue Box - RPRA to learn more.
• More information and a list acceptable materials for the new blue box program will be sent to homes from Circular Materials this fall.
• The new province-wide recycling program for Ontario only collects recycling from residential properties. To continue to provide recycling collection to small businesses and other organizations, Oxford County is starting a new recycling collection program for these groups. Learn more and register here)