John Fox…

John Fox
Senior Policy & Programs Officer
Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change
Climate Change and Environmental Policy Division
Resource Recovery and Policy Branch
40 St. Clair Avenue West, Floor 8
Toronto, Ontario
M4V 1M2

Dear Mr. Fox:

The City of Hamilton (City) is supportive of the proposed regulation concerning milk containers issued by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (Ministry). The following are the City of Hamilton’s comments on the proposed regulation:

1. The City’s Solid Waste Management Master Plan (SWMMP), approved by Hamilton City Council in June 2012, supports actions which encourages waste reduction, optimizes the use of waste diversion facilities, and minimizes residual waste. Recyclable milk container packaging is currently accepted for collection through the City’s Blue Box recycling program.

2. The City is supportive of the Ministry’s implementation of the proposed regulation in order to allow milk producers to use containers that are collected through the deposit return system or through the Blue Box program.

3. The City also encourages the Ontario Government and its agencies to continue to provide support for Blue Box programs across the Province, particularly related to collection and processing systems which handle recyclable materials.

4. To support the Ontario Government’s vision of a circular economy, the Province should also consider the need to find long-term sustainable end-markets for recyclable packaging such as milk containers.

[Original Comment ID: 212508]