Ontario proposes to weaken impending new recycling rules over costs to producers
Global News
Ford's government is proposing to weaken an impending slate of new recycling rules because producers of the materials said the system is getting too expensive.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government is proposing to weaken an impending slate of new recycling rules because producers of the materials said the system is getting too expensive.
The province began transitioning in 2023 toward making producers pay for the recycling of their packaging, paper and single-use items. The companies’ obligations were set to increase next year, but the government is now looking to delay some measures and outright cancel others, such as requirements to extend collection beyond the residential system.
Environmental advocates say the proposed changes let producers off the hook and will mean more materials will end up in landfills or be incinerated. Producers say despite the rising costs, recycling rates don’t actually appear to be improving, so it’s time for a broader rethink.
Environment Minister Todd McCarthy said the proposed changes are about ensuring the sustainability of the blue box system and protecting against unintended consequences such as job losses.
“We want to take what we’ve done and improve upon what already exists, but the costs were a big deal, and so we’re proposing some measures that would bring about cost savings and transparency and improvement to accomplish the goal of recycling that we all want,” he said earlier this month.
The Canadian Retail Council estimates that producer costs have already increased by about 350 per cent in three years and would nearly double again just from this year to next if no changes were made to the impending new rules for 2026.
The government says blue box collection costs could more than double between 2020 and 2030.
“Cost increases of this magnitude were not anticipated when the regulation was passed in 2021 and have jeopardized the stability of the blue box system today,” it says in its proposal to change the rules.
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