Latest news with #ResourceRecoveryandCircularEconomyAct
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Ford government proposes major rollback of Blue Box recycling rules
The Ford government has quietly proposed major changes to Ontario's Blue Box recycling program — changes advocates say will increase pollution, reduce accountability for waste producers and place more costs on renters and municipalities. The new rules would delay key recycling targets by five years, giving producers until 2031 to meet recovery goals for materials like paper, plastic, metal, glass and beverage containers. Those targets had been set to take effect in 2026. The proposed changes would eliminate rules requiring producers to collect packaging waste from apartments, long-term care homes, retirement homes and schools without municipal pickup. Beverage companies would no longer be responsible for containers consumed outside the home. The plan would also allow producers to burn non-recyclable plastic in incinerators or cement kilns and still count it as recycling. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks says the changes are intended to manage 'higher than expected cost growth' and ensure a 'stable and sustainable' blue box system during the province's transition to full producer responsibility. The government would allow producers up to 15 per cent of recycling targets to be met by burning non-recyclable plastic waste in incinerators or cement kilns. Under the province's Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, producers — including brand owners, retailers and importers — are required to manage recycling programs for packaging and single-use items. The current changes would weaken the 2021 regulations that aimed to shift this responsibility away from municipalities and onto the companies that create waste. Critics say the proposal marks a dramatic reversal of more than a decade of progress on waste reduction and recycling in the province. Karen Wirsig, senior program manager at Environmental Defence, said the changes would increase plastic pollution, promote incineration and burden communities with more garbage, all while letting major producers — like grocery chains and beverage companies — off the hook. 'The government is betraying Ontarians by seeking to reverse requirements that would have reduced single-use and unrecyclable plastics and to delay enforcement of these — now weakened — rules for another five years,' Wirsig said. The Ford government's proposal comes just a day after it passed the controversial Bill 5 , which also fast-tracks large waste facility approval under the claim that Ontario is facing a landfill crisis. 'From the moves this week, it is clear that the premier and the government think more garbage, more dumps and more waste-burners are good for Ontario,' Wirsig said, calling it a coordinated shift toward deregulation that benefits producers and the waste industry at the expense of environmental health and ordinary Ontarians. The government also proposes slashing the recycling target for flexible plastic packaging, such as food wrappers and plastic bags, from 25 per cent to just five per cent. The ministry says industry stakeholders argue these materials are costly, hard to recycle and often contaminate other recyclables. Komal Habib, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo and expert in industrial ecology, said delaying recovery targets by five years is excessive and risks weakening Ontario's circular economy goals. 'It's too long of a transition time to allow producers to plan and make investments for collection and recycling activities,' Habib said. On the decision to exclude multi-residential buildings and public spaces from producer collection responsibilities, Habib said it could have serious consequences. These sites produce a growing share of urban waste, especially in cities like Toronto and Waterloo — leaving them out of the system could hamper progress toward circular economy goals. Ontario is still dumping billions of bottles and cans, while other provinces profit from a deposit-return recycling system. Despite 81 per cent of Ontarians supporting such a system, last year the Ford government scrapped the non-alcoholic drink container deposit-return program, citing cost concerns 'for small businesses and families,' without providing any estimates. Big retailers and consumer brands have been lobbying the Ford government to weaken Ontario's Blue Box rules, claiming recycling costs are too high. Last year, in a joint letter , several Ontario municipal organizations raised concerns about industry lobbying for changes to the province's Blue Box Regulation, warning it could undermine the goals of extended producer responsibility and shift costs back onto municipalities. Ontario NDP environment critic Peter Tabuns said the Ford government's decision to delay recycling targets and loosen producer obligations is a clear example of corporate influence overriding public interest. He argued that big companies have had more than a decade to develop less wasteful packaging but failed to act. Tabuns said the idea behind extended producer responsibility was to force innovation by making polluters pay, but the changes signal a retreat from that principle. He added that the government's decision to allow incineration to count toward recycling targets would worsen climate emissions and increase toxic pollution. Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said the government is effectively dismantling a system that was meant to make waste producers accountable and encourage less packaging waste. Instead, he warned, the rollback will lead to more garbage, higher costs for taxpayers and missed opportunities to build a circular economy. Ontario should be moving toward strict producer responsibility, zero waste targets, and greater inclusion of commercial and multi-residential buildings in recycling programs, not backing away from them, he said. A more effective approach would be to reduce the delay to no more than two years and push producers to invest in infrastructure, Habib suggested. She also urged the government to fund academic research to evaluate whether current recovery targets are realistic and sustainable. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. 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National Observer
a day ago
- Business
- National Observer
Ford government proposes major rollback of Blue Box recycling rules
The Ford government has quietly proposed major changes to Ontario's Blue Box recycling program — changes advocates say will increase pollution, reduce accountability for waste producers and place more costs on renters and municipalities. The new rules would delay key recycling targets by five years, giving producers until 2031 to meet recovery goals for materials like paper, plastic, metal, glass and beverage containers. Those targets had been set to take effect in 2026. The proposed changes would eliminate rules requiring producers to collect packaging waste from apartments, long-term care homes, retirement homes and schools without municipal pickup. Beverage companies would no longer be responsible for containers consumed outside the home. The plan would also allow producers to burn non-recyclable plastic in incinerators or cement kilns and still count it as recycling. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks says the changes are intended to manage 'higher than expected cost growth' and ensure a 'stable and sustainable' blue box system during the province's transition to full producer responsibility. The government would allow producers up to 15 per cent of recycling targets to be met by burning non-recyclable plastic waste in incinerators or cement kilns. Under the province's Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, producers — including brand owners, retailers and importers — are required to manage recycling programs for packaging and single-use items. The current changes would weaken the 2021 regulations that aimed to shift this responsibility away from municipalities and onto the companies that create waste. Critics say the proposal marks a dramatic reversal of more than a decade of progress on waste reduction and recycling in the province. Big retailers and consumer brands have been lobbying the Ford government to weaken Ontario's Blue Box rules, claiming recycling costs are too high. Karen Wirsig, senior program manager at Environmental Defence, said the changes would increase plastic pollution, promote incineration and burden communities with more garbage, all while letting major producers — like grocery chains and beverage companies — off the hook. 'The government is betraying Ontarians by seeking to reverse requirements that would have reduced single-use and unrecyclable plastics and to delay enforcement of these — now weakened — rules for another five years,' Wirsig said. The Ford government's proposal comes just a day after it passed the controversial Bill 5, which also fast-tracks large waste facility approval under the claim that Ontario is facing a landfill crisis. 'From the moves this week, it is clear that the premier and the government think more garbage, more dumps and more waste-burners are good for Ontario,' Wirsig said, calling it a coordinated shift toward deregulation that benefits producers and the waste industry at the expense of environmental health and ordinary Ontarians. The government also proposes slashing the recycling target for flexible plastic packaging, such as food wrappers and plastic bags, from 25 per cent to just five per cent. The ministry says industry stakeholders argue these materials are costly, hard to recycle and often contaminate other recyclables. Komal Habib, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo and expert in industrial ecology, said delaying recovery targets by five years is excessive and risks weakening Ontario's circular economy goals. 'It's too long of a transition time to allow producers to plan and make investments for collection and recycling activities,' Habib said. On the decision to exclude multi-residential buildings and public spaces from producer collection responsibilities, Habib said it could have serious consequences. These sites produce a growing share of urban waste, especially in cities like Toronto and Waterloo — leaving them out of the system could hamper progress toward circular economy goals. Ontario is still dumping billions of bottles and cans, while other provinces profit from a deposit-return recycling system. Despite 81 per cent of Ontarians supporting such a system, last year the Ford government scrapped the non-alcoholic drink container deposit-return program, citing cost concerns 'for small businesses and families,' without providing any estimates. Opposition slams industry influence Big retailers and consumer brands have been lobbying the Ford government to weaken Ontario's Blue Box rules, claiming recycling costs are too high. Last year, in a joint letter, several Ontario municipal organizations raised concerns about industry lobbying for changes to the province's Blue Box Regulation, warning it could undermine the goals of extended producer responsibility and shift costs back onto municipalities. Ontario NDP environment critic Peter Tabuns said the Ford government's decision to delay recycling targets and loosen producer obligations is a clear example of corporate influence overriding public interest. He argued that big companies have had more than a decade to develop less wasteful packaging but failed to act. Tabuns said the idea behind extended producer responsibility was to force innovation by making polluters pay, but the changes signal a retreat from that principle. He added that the government's decision to allow incineration to count toward recycling targets would worsen climate emissions and increase toxic pollution. Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said the government is effectively dismantling a system that was meant to make waste producers accountable and encourage less packaging waste. Instead, he warned, the rollback will lead to more garbage, higher costs for taxpayers and missed opportunities to build a circular economy. Ontario should be moving toward strict producer responsibility, zero waste targets, and greater inclusion of commercial and multi-residential buildings in recycling programs, not backing away from them, he said. A more effective approach would be to reduce the delay to no more than two years and push producers to invest in infrastructure, Habib suggested. She also urged the government to fund academic research to evaluate whether current recovery targets are realistic and sustainable.
Toronto Star
06-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
Energizer, Duracell and Panasonic fined millions for missing Ontario battery recycling targets
Three of the biggest names in household batteries are facing fines of nearly $3 million for failing to meet recycling targets in Ontario for 2023. Energizer and Duracell will each have to pay $1 million to the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) — which oversees recycling in the province — the highest amount that a company can be fined under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, the provincial regulation that governs recycling. Panasonic, which received a leader in sustainability award for 2024 from Call2Recycle Canada, the non-profit organization responsible for recycling batteries on the companies' behalf, was fined $781,725. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'We are disappointed with the regulator's decision,' said Joe Zenobio, president of Call2Recycle Canada, in an email. 'The three battery producers are actively moving toward appealing the RPRA's decision, which is viewed as punitive and unwarranted. 'We are confident that we have gone above and beyond what is required to increase collection rates in Ontario,' said Zenobio. 'Educating the public on recycling batteries and building the proper infrastructure from collection to recycling activities is a process that takes time, and we remain committed to it on behalf of our producer members.' All three companies recycled 19 per cent of the single-use batteries, such as AA or AAA, they sold in the Ontario market in 2023, short of the target of 40 per cent, according to RPRA. 'The fines were necessary because Duracell, Energizer and Panasonic failed to meet their 2023 minimum recycling requirements for single-use batteries and all three producers were insufficiently responsive to our previous efforts to encourage their compliance with Ontario's recycling laws,' said the authority in an email. 'This action holds polluters accountable and ensures a level playing field for those battery producers who do follow Ontario's environmental laws,' said RPRA. The fines, issued by RPRA at the end of April, are millions of dollars less than what the companies would have paid to recycle enough batteries to meet the Ontario benchmark, according to the authority. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The fines are the first ones issued by RPRA since the provincial authority came into being in 2019 after the province downloaded the full cost of recycling onto the companies, manufacturers and distributors who supply and sell goods on the Ontario market, a cost that used to be shared with municipalities. The new model is referred to as producer responsibility. Battery companies had until April of last year to report their recycling data for 2023, which was the first year for which the authority was allowed to issue administrative penalties, or fines, under the provincial legislation. In an email to the Star, Panasonic said it has not decided how it will respond to the administrative penalty, 'as we are currently evaluating our options under the guidance of our external legal counsel. We are also actively co-ordinating with Call2Recycle.' Energizer said in an email that it had no comment. Duracell didn't provide a response to the Star. The companies have 15 days to appeal the fines, which were issued April 28. In written judgments, RPRA said the companies blamed unachievable targets set by the province for their inability to meet the recycling requirement for single-use batteries, as opposed to the recycling target for rechargeable ones, which are larger and easier to collect. The companies met the recycling target for rechargeable batteries of 40 per cent. This year, after public consultations that included industry input, the provincial government removed the separate recycling targets for single-use and rechargeable batteries and created one overall target of 45 per cent for 2025 and 50 per cent for 2026 and beyond. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW All three battery companies pointed to the change in government regulation going forward as an indication that the 40 per cent recycling target for single-use batteries was unjust. Energizer said the change in regulation was 'a clear acknowledgment of the existing deficiencies of the recycling regulations' and 'those changes are an acknowledgment that the existing framework required revisions,' according to the RPRA report. Zenobio said in the email that having two different categories for battery collection — single-use and rechargeable — 'not only made compliance unnecessarily complex but also failed to recognize the collective efforts and results of the industry, being burdensome and counterproductive. 'As a result, despite strong overall performance, Ontario's unique regulatory structure meant that the province's requirements were not met,' he said. In 2020, the province had a 47 per cent diversion rate for single-use batteries, according to Stewardship Ontario, which used to oversee recycling for producers when the cost was still shared with municipalities. Rechargeable-battery recycling wasn't measured under that system. RPRA says the money from the fines will offset the cost of recycling programs in the province. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW But paying the fines won't make the battery companies complaint with the legislation. RPRA said it an email that it 'also has the power to prosecute non-compliant producers for failing to meet their regulatory requirements,' convictions that could result in fines of up to $250,000 each day a corporation is non-compliant and $500,000 a day for each subsequent conviction. The authority said it couldn't divulge it's compliance strategy or speculate on any 'enforcement action we may or may not take.'
