We oppose the proposed…

We oppose the proposed amendment to exempt producers from responsibility for packaging that may be discarded in industrial, commercial or institutional (ICI) settings. The Blue Box regulation is designed to make producers responsible for the packaging waste – including 758,000 tonnes of plastic – that their products generate in Ontario. One weakness in the current regulation is that it does not address the majority of Ontario’s waste – 60 per cent – generated in the ICI sector. The changes proposed to the regulation will further let producers off the hook for consumer waste.

We recommend that the regulations be strengthened to ensure reuse and recycling of packaging materials in all sectors, and to improve the outcomes for beverage containers:

1. Withdraw the proposed amendments that allow producers to deduct amounts of packaging that might be discarded within the ICI sector (including arenas, office buildings and hospitals) and – following Quebec and British Columbia – update the regulation to include obligations for waste generated in the ICI sector.

2.Require the implementation of a deposit-return system for non-alcoholic beverage containers to ensure that producers reach the target of at least 75 per cent recovery by 2026 and 80 per cent by 2030 as per the current regulation. Strike an industry working group as soon as possible to begin the transition.

Please find attached the rationale for our recommendations.