A Brief 2018-2019 Recycling Market Report for Ontario, Canada

Since 2017, major changes have happened in Canada’s recycling markets. Though some are positive, the negatives have led to a decline in global recycling commodity prices which has greatly impacted Canada’s abilities to recycle.

In some examples, value of materials has collapsed to zero and in select cases, there’s even negative value per metric tonne. Declines in cardboard and mixed in particular have shown to produce a lower value than preferred. While understandable how commodities in recycling have a value which fluctuates according to market forces, the industry is still reeling from big cuts.

Though this 2018-2019 recycling report for Ontario, Canada is dealing with Canadian data, it’s impossible to discuss this province without including Asia in the conversation. Asian end markets for recycling continue to change, getting stricter on what they’ll accept and denying anything which doesn’t meet the standard. There’s much uncertainty there regarding demand as well. New material quality requirements seem to come out every six months from places like China which affects how lucrative recycling and waste disposal is to regions like Toronto, Ontario.

China’s new environmental commitment is not inherently a bad thing. Like Canada, China deserves a healthy environment. That said, a sudden change in policy has meant temporarily instability in worldwide recycling markets resulting in instability here at home. Inspections of inbound recycling materials into China and the elimination of import of 24 materials into the country has left some Canadian stakeholders trying to figure out how to dispose of its recyclables.

Here in Toronto, Ontario, we read about the construction of new recycling and processing plants. Though wonderful news, the fate of the recycling market right now is in the hands of the development of end market. It’s ‘end markets’ which handle the processing of recycling and selling of it out as re-manufactured product.

Vital to both residential and commercial recycling, Canada has many end market relationships in place however more are certainly needed. Although we do a great job at collecting recyclables, without an end market, those same recycling materials need to be landfilled and that’s what we want to avoid. Recyclables cannot be saved indefinitely.

All of this highlights how blended the Canadian recycling industry is with non-Canadian stakeholders. If Canada is to achieve its own robust, zero-waste economy, it’s going to need to work alongside other markets to end the practice of recycling ending up in landfills.

Naturally, Ontario has some amazing waste management and recycling prospects going for it. As we continue to develop Ontario-based facilities to handle our own recycling, it will be very interesting to see where the provincial industry is at a decade from now. Ideally, at that time, we would have developed the means to be closer than ever to a zero waste economy. This should entail improving waste diversion and increasing recycling numbers across residential, commercial, and industrial properties.

For all of your waste management, recycling, and junk removal needs, contact Core Mini Bins to speak with a representative. Always happy to connect Torontonians to the right waste management services, we’ll help with collection and disposal, ensuring anything that can be recycled is. Looking ahead, we hope to be a part of the solution in fostering growth within Ontario’s waste and recycling industries.