Transition

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...

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...

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...

A comparison of municipal Blue Box recycling depot costs

Accurately measuring the cost and effectiveness of municipal programs is fundamental to making informed decisions about program changes, investments, and transition planning. When it comes to recycling depots, municipalities report their costs through the annual Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) Datacall. However, these costs vary significantly, due in part...

Part III. Learnings from British Columbia: Advice for Transition

In this installment of CIF’s blog mini-series, we are continuing to share insight and advice from British Columbia’s Product Stewardship Council (BCPSC) based on their experience with transition. This week we are focusing on the decision-making process regarding whether or not to remain engaged as a contractor to a Producer...

Part II. Learnings from British Columbia: Advice for Transition

In this second installment of CIF’s blog mini-series we continue to share learnings from our engagement with the British Columbia Product Stewardship Council (BCPSC) on their collective experience with transitioning to a full producer responsibility model. Here are this week's learnings...

Regulation elements can impact how well materials are captured

Targets will...

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...

Guide for Developing a Waste Management Service Contingency Plan now available

Over the years a number of municipalities have encountered challenges related to labour disruptions, contractor performance issues, or shutdowns at processing facilities associated with Blue Box program operations. While no one can anticipate every possible situation, a contingency plan can help prepare a municipality for when these challenges arise. The CIF...

Force Majeure: Are you ready?

A “force majeure” clause is included in contracts to relieve the parties of their obligations in the event of significant unforeseen circumstances that are typically outside of their control. Essentially, it is a contract provision that relieves the parties from performing their contractual obligations when circumstances beyond their control arise,...