Policy

Proposed blue box regulation details eligible sources and service standards

The proposed new Blue Box regulation under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016, released by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) on October 19, 2020, details the eligible sources for collection and service standards required during and after transition. Residences, facilities and public spaces considered eligible...

Single-Use Plastics: Ban, recycle or both?

Earlier in October, the Federal government released a discussion paper “A proposed integrated management approach to plastic products”, outlining a proposal to ban single-use plastics starting in 2021. How does the Federal government’s proposed management strategies for single-use packaging align with Ontario’s draft blue box regulation? To kick off Ontario’s 2020 Waste...

A first look at the proposed new blue box regulation

On Monday, October 19, 2020, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks proposed a new regulation under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 for the blue box. It makes producers of products and packaging fully responsible for the waste they create. The Proposal is posted on the...

When Theory Meets Practice: Lessons from Decades of Packaging EPR Experiences in Europe

Ontario is undertaking a transition to full extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging and paper products under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act (the “RRCEA”). At their core, EPR policies seek to ensure that the pricing of products incorporates their social and environmental life-cycle costs, including end-of-life treatment and...

Part I. Learnings from British Columbia: Advice for Transition

British Columbia (BC) has the only Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program for packaging and paper products (PPP) in North America where producers have full responsibility for the financing and operation of the province-wide residential recycling system. As Ontario moves toward the transition of its Blue Box program to an Individual...

Comparing Collection Policies: Cost and Diversion Impact

In anticipation of the curbside collection contracts renewal, pending regulatory/policy change and the development of a 30-year Solid Waste Master Plan, the City of Ottawa retained Dillon Consulting Limited (Dillon) to complete a study and develop a curbside collection model. The model assisted the City in identifying the most cost-effective...

Understanding the Complexities of Waste Audits

Municipalities have been conducting waste composition studies in Ontario for decades. They provide valuable insights into program operations, aid in directing promotion & education (P&E) resources and developing long-term waste management strategies. However, trying to figure out the correct sample size, frequency of sampling and distribution is not as simple...

Waste audit analysis assists the City and County of Peterborough

Waste audit data provides a detailed breakdown of what’s in each waste stream. For the Blue Box, it quantifies the weight of each material group, contamination rates, and cross-contamination. This information is particularly useful when setting payment terms and revenue sharing parameters for a new processing contract. The City and...

Third year of waste composition studies gives valuable insights

Reliable data from waste composition studies helps monitor performance and plan for the future, but gathering this information can be time-consuming and expensive. To remove the burden for individual programs, the CIF and Stewardship Ontario conducted and shared results of waste composition studies from municipalities throughout the province. Results are in The...