Administration

Ontario’s new blue box regulation and resources for the road ahead

As announced Thursday June 3, Ontario's new blue box regulation (O. Reg. 391/21) under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 has been finalized and is now published on e-Laws at: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r21391 The regulation, which will transition Ontario's blue box program to an Individual Producer Responsibility framework, brings into focus the...

Public Engagement: Going Online Only

Appropriate engagement opportunities allow municipalities to make better decisions on projects or plans. Public input can maximize the benefits of a project, minimize any negative impacts, and provide new ideas or initiatives for communities. Since successful waste management systems rely on those that participate, getting public engagement in waste management...

Reaching residents during a pandemic

Contamination levels in the blue box program have been top of mind for many municipalities. The issue has led to a variety of contract management challenges, requiring, in some cases, that contracts be renegotiated. Contamination has also been a topic of concern in the development of the impending regulation. Interestingly,...

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...

The bagged recyclables dilemma

Faced with a new processing RFP, Dufferin County sought to understand the costs to manage increasing amounts of bagged recyclables, and whether it would be more cost-effective to debag at the curb or process bagged materials at the MRF. Dufferin provides single stream recycling collection in Blue Boxes, with 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...