Curbside garbage and recycling pickup in Caledon will continue unchanged for now, but a major change is on the way: the town is set to partner with Brampton on a joint waste collection service starting in fall 2027.
The shift follows a wholesale change in how waste is managed across Peel. On January 1, 2026, Brampton and Mississauga officially took over garbage collection from the Region of Peel. Caledon is part of the same transition, but its switch happens later, when the town's collection contract with the region expires in September 2027.
Caledon Mayor Annette Groves confirmed the timeline and offered a straightforward message to residents.
"I can assure Caledon residents that their curbside collection will continue as it does today," said Mayor Groves.
The move is part of a broader effort to streamline operations and improve service delivery at the local level, according to a City of Brampton release issued March 20. Once the transition is complete, local waste pickup will become a fully municipal responsibility, though the region's community recycling centres will remain under the Region of Peel's management.
"This transition ensures that current service levels are maintained while safeguarding long-term cost-efficiency, stability, and continuity for both municipalities," the statement said.
No disruption to residents is expected during the handover, since existing contracts will stay in place throughout the transition period. The Province of Ontario and local governments are also establishing a new regional transition committee to co-ordinate financial planning, service levels and operational logistics.
A return to the old way of doing things
The change effectively turns back the clock on how waste services were delivered before the 1990s, when local municipalities ran their own garbage collection prior to regionalization.
"By restoring responsibilities to municipalities, this transition will enhance efficiency, streamline decisions, and allow Brampton and Caledon to customize waste services to meet the needs of their growing populations," the City of Brampton said.
The download of waste collection to local municipalities traces back to the now-defunct Peel Transition Board, which the province created in 2023 to dissolve the Region of Peel. The province reversed that dissolution decision in December 2023, but still approved transferring certain regional services down to the local level, with garbage collection among them.
Notably, the transfer to Mississauga had originally been slated for July 2026, but was moved up to align with Brampton's January 1 start date.
For Caledon households, the practical message is simple: keep setting out garbage, recycling and organics as usual. Nothing changes at the curb until the town's contract with the region runs out in September 2027, when collection shifts to the new joint service with Brampton.
