The Ontario government is looking for feedback on its proposed amendments to the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 (RRCEA) and the Blue Box Regulation (O. Reg. 391/21), which aim to reduce costs for producers as they take on more responsibility for recycling products.
Ontario’s plan to make producers, including brand holders, importers, and retailers, responsible for operating and collecting blue box programs for paper, packaging, and single use items at end-of-life, has exceeded cost expectations, states the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks in its proposal, which closes for consultation on July 21.
The Canadian Retail Council estimates that producer recycling costs have already increased by some 350% in recent years and could nearly double without the necessary amendments.
“To make sure we understand the problems and make the right changes, the ministry needs more information on blue box system design, operation, and costs,” states the ministry’s proposal. “Currently, much of this information is not available to government under the regulation. Addressing this information gap is critical to being able to assess the effectiveness of the regulation and propose amendments that drive cost containment while maintaining blue box services for residents.”
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Producers, too, have told the ministry that they require more information to “better compare quotes” to make an informed decision when procuring one of four producer responsibility organizations (PROs) in the province.
Some producers, as well as the Ontario Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority, have been calling for a single organization to create efficiencies and reduce fragmentation in the recycling system.
Additionally, PROs continued small business collection during the transition period, at the municipality’s cost, but decided to end small business collection once the blue box system was set to fully transition in 2026. Proposed amendments would enable the ministry to make regulations that require PROs to make an offer to municipalities or other specified entities to service small businesses to municipalities or other specified persons.
In April of this year, the province’s Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority issued major fines to several major battery manufacturers for missing established recycling targets.
