06/06/2013
Today, Jim Bradley, Minister of the Environment, announced a waste reduction strategy that would replace the current Waste Diversion Act with a Waste Reduction Act. This new approach will focus on producers being responsible for “end-of-life” management of the products and packaging they generate. The proposed legislation will recognize municipal governments’ role and investments in the provincial waste diversion system and will build on it. We understand that the proposed Waste Reduction Act could lift the current 50 per cent net costs cap on producer funding for the Blue Box Program, as well as require that reasonable municipal Blue Box costs are considered in this process. This again is an extremely welcome step to reduce producers’ use of property tax dollars to manage the disposal or recycling of their products and packaging. When producers do not take responsibility for waste diversion programs, municipalities, as local governments, must manage the waste and local taxpayers end up paying the bill. Service standards for consumer accessibility and convenience will be developed along with minimum collection and recycling targets. These standards will be critical so that all communities throughout the province can contribute to increasing waste diversion and reducing what goes to landfill. It establishes an individual producer responsibility system (IPR). This means individual producers would be responsible for environmental targets set by government on a product by product basis. Other highlights of the proposed strategy include strengthening the Blue Box Program, and increasing organics diversion. The proposed Waste Reduction Act would: