Hello, This proposal is a…

Hello,
This proposal is a significant step backwards. Why were municipalities with their limited funding base able to make this work. Frankly this seems like an excuse for the producers to buy time. They've had 10+ years to plan for this and I haven't seen one product change it's packaging. If they are worried about costs perhaps they should save money by packaging their products in easier to recycle packaging. Or they should insist those that supply their stores do so.
The fact that this proposal does not have dates for the paused initiatives to be in put back into place means that producers have no line of sight or goals to achieve a comprehensive system. I strongly urge the government to give clear direction with timelines so that businesses have clarity.
The 15% allowed for incineration is not based on any science or evidence. I strongly suggest that this be reduced as the amount of unrecyclable material is much less than 15%. Further, by allowing such a large percentage you are dis-incentivizing producers from choosing recyclable materials for their packaging.
Lastly the rationale given for this move is because of rising costs for producers and consumers. However the increased costs for consumers is miniscule and it can be argued that the small impact this will have on Ontario's economy will be countered by new jobs and technologies in the recycling industry. Thus the original timelines were planned by many and this delay will hurt employees and the recycling sector as a whole. A more comprehensive and broader view of the impact of the slight increased costs to one sector are clearly more than outweighed by the benefits of jobs to Ontarians, so the Ontario economy as a whole would be better off without delays in produce responsibility. Regardless of the environmental benefits of a robust recycling system and better producer choices for packaging materials.