Featured In Waste Advantage: How Ontario’s New EPR Framework Is Reshaping Recycling Logistics and Driving Rapid Fleet Modernization

Article featured in the January, 2026 issue of Waste Advantage Magazine

Ontario’s shift to EPR represents a major inflection point for the waste and recycling sector. The program requires substantial operational changes and introduces new expectations for producers, OEMs, haulers, and residents. This shift underscores the importance of strong vendor relationships and the ability to resolve issues quickly when entire regions are transitioning to new collection models at the same time.

Ontario, Canada is entering a new era in recycling management as the province transitions to a full Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program. This shift transfers recycling collection and processing responsibilities from municipal governments to the companies that produce and distribute consumer goods. The change marks one of the most significant structural adjustments in the Canadian waste and recycling industry in recent memory and introduces new operational models that are expected to influence how recycling systems function well into the future.

For residents, weekly recycling routines will look familiar. Blue boxes will continue to appear at the curb, and collection will continue on a predictable schedule. However, behind the scenes, the shift represents a major realignment of operational responsibility, fleet requirements, route planning, industry partnerships, and long-term strategic planning for haulers across the province.

Understanding the EPR Model and Its Industry Implications

EPR is intended to strengthen the recycling system by placing the financial and operational burden on those with the greatest influence over product packaging design and market behavior. Producers must ensure their products are collected and recycled responsibly, and they must contract directly with qualified service providers to meet these obligations. The model is designed to reduce contamination, improve the quality of recovered materials, and encourage the creation of packaging that is easier to recycle.

This shift from government-operated collection to producer-led systems introduces several industry-wide effects. First, municipalities no longer oversee recycling collection. Producers manage system design, vendor selection, and material flow management. Second, recycling can no longer be collected in the same vehicle as waste. This forces haulers to maintain separate, dedicated fleets, staffed by separate teams, and operating on their own route structures. Third, the scale of collection has changed. Instead of managing individual municipal contracts, haulers may now service multiple regions under consolidated contracts that span tens or hundreds of thousands of households.

These changes create not only efficiencies but also increase the complexity of launch planning, fleet acquisition, staff training, and ongoing operational compliance.

The Scale and Speed of Ontario’s Transition

The launch of the program affects multiple regions simultaneously. Because service start dates were set long in advance, producers and haulers needed to mobilize fleets, procure vehicles, hire staff, and engineer new routes in a compressed period while ensuring a smooth transition for the public.

The requirements extend beyond fleet expansion. Vehicles must meet Canadian specifications. Data systems must support new reporting thresholds, and field teams must prepare for different contamination categories and more detailed material tracking. Municipalities must be phased out of their previous roles. Producers must coordinate with contractors, and contractors must coordinate with their supply chain.

This compressed timeline has placed pressure on haulers that can only be met through strong internal operations combined with equally strong relationships among OEMs, dealers, and partners.

Miller Waste Systems as an Example of Province-Wide Mobilization

Among the organizations responding to the new EPR requirements is Miller Waste Systems, one of Canada’s largest privately owned waste and recycling companies. With more than 1,700 vehicles in its fleet and decades of experience managing municipal and commercial collection contracts, Miller Waste represents the type of large-scale hauler that producers are turning to under the new framework.

To prepare for the launch, Miller Waste expanded its fleet with more than four hundred new collection vehicles. The additions included rear loaders, front loaders, and automated side loaders configured specifically for dedicated recycling service under the new system. These vehicles were required within a tight operational window to support contracts scheduled to begin across multiple regions at the same time, placing considerable pressure on Miller’s supply chain and operational planning.

A significant share of this new fleet was supplied by Heil, coordinated through Miller Waste’s trusted local Heil refuse truck dealer, Truckz and Binzz. According to Joe Johnson, President of Miller Waste Systems, “Having Heil as a partner made this rapid transition efficient and painless.” He added that Heil is one of the top players in the marketplace and a known and trusted brand for the company.

These comments highlight not just the quality of the equipment, but also the importance of dependable OEM partners when a company needs to mobilize quickly and adapt to new regulatory requirements. The new vehicles allowed Miller to build, staff, and deploy fully dedicated recycling routes while maintaining service continuity for existing customers.

Beyond the fleet itself, Miller Waste’s internal teams were tasked with hiring new drivers, training personnel, establishing maintenance schedules, reengineering routes, and coordinating with multiple producers whose systems and expectations differed. Company leadership shared that the biggest challenge was not the program itself, but the need to manage hiring, fleet expansion, compliance planning, equipment preparation, and route rollout all at once.

The Role of Industry Partnerships in Meeting Large-Scale Deadlines

EPR implementation requires close coordination among manufacturers, dealers, haulers, and producers. For many service providers, the ability to meet program start dates depended on the responsiveness of their equipment partners and their understanding of provincial regulations.

Truckz and Binzz is Miller Waste’s trusted local Heil dealer and played a key role in helping the company prepare for the EPR rollout by coordinating the acquisition and delivery of more than one hundred rear load Heil units. The new program required all of this equipment to be ready far sooner than a typical procurement cycle. Heil’s ability to build and configure the fleet within that tight window was critical.

With the nearby dealer managing day-to-day coordination and the manufacturer responding quickly to the demands of the program, Miller’s teams were able to stay focused on training, staffing, and route planning while the new recycling fleet came together in the background.

Community Education and Public Participation

Despite major structural changes occurring behind the scenes, the success of the EPR system still depends heavily on public participation. Residents must continue placing the correct materials at the curb and follow updated recycling guidelines. Community education therefore, remains essential.

Service providers like Miller Waste have invested in outreach programs that include school presentations, facility tours, equipment demonstrations, and community events that allow residents to see trucks, containers, and sorting processes up close. These programs help residents understand the goals of the EPR system, clarify what materials are accepted, and demonstrate how collected materials are diverted and reused.

A more informed public produces a cleaner recycling stream. Lower contamination levels reduce strain on sorting facilities, improve the value of recovered commodities, and make the entire program more effective for producers and haulers alike.

How EPR Influences Future Market Dynamics

Ontario’s EPR program creates new opportunities for service providers that have the operational scale and flexibility to adapt quickly. As producers assume greater control of recycling systems, they seek partners capable of handling large regions, managing complex logistics, and maintaining reliable service across all contracted areas.

Haulers that have invested in fleet modernization, technology integration, and long-term OEM partnerships are well-positioned to secure contracts and deliver consistent results. For companies like Miller Waste, the ability to mobilize quickly, supported by coordinated relationships with Heil and its dealer network, has created opportunities to service new regions and expand the company’s footprint in the recycling market.

Beyond immediate operational demands, the EPR system also changes the feedback loop between collection operations and product design. Because producers are now financially responsible for recycling outcomes, they have a greater incentive to collaborate with service providers to understand contamination issues, material behavior, and route challenges. Haulers can increasingly influence packaging design decisions by sharing data that identifies which materials cause issues in the collection or sorting process.

This collaboration has long-term implications for how packaging is designed, how recycling systems evolve, and how the broader circular economy functions. As EPR programs mature, service providers will play an increasingly strategic role in shaping recycling standards and informing producers about design changes that improve material recovery.

The Road Ahead

Ontario’s shift to Extended Producer Responsibility represents a major inflection point for the waste and recycling sector. The program requires substantial operational changes and introduces new expectations for producers, OEMs, haulers, and residents. It also creates the opportunity for a more integrated and efficient system that connects packaging design, material recovery, and recycling performance more closely than ever before.

As the program develops, service providers will continue refining routes, adjusting fleet composition, incorporating new technologies, and gathering data that helps producers understand and improve material recovery. OEM relationships will remain essential as new vehicle configurations, automation enhancements, and equipment standards evolve.

For the industry, the transition is a significant step toward a system where producers and haulers work in closer alignment. For OEMs and dealers, it highlights how equipment readiness and responsiveness can influence the success of regional recycling systems. For residents, it reinforces the importance of proper recycling participation and community education. And for haulers like Miller Waste, the launch demonstrates how rapid mobilization, strong partnerships, and large-scale planning can position a company to support a transformational shift in provincial recycling policy.

Environmental Solutions is a Chattanooga, TN-based provider of waste collection equipment and technology systems. For more information, visit www.terexesg.com.