December 3, 2020 Jamelia…

December 3, 2020
Jamelia Alleyne
Resource Recovery Policy Branch
40 St. Clair Avenue West, 8th floor
Toronto, ON M4V 1M2
RRPB.Mail@ontario.ca

RE: A proposed regulation, and proposed regulatory amendments, to make producers responsible for operating blue box programs ERO # 019-2579
Dear Ms. Alleyne,
The Town of Renfrew would like to thank the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) and Ministry staff for continuing to move this important file forward. Producer responsibility policies are fundamental to reducing waste and increasing recovery of resources. Producers of packaging and products have the greatest ability to drive this.
The Town of Renfrew appreciates efforts by the MECP to establish a transition timeline that accommodates municipal preferences and the need to transition only one third of Blue Box Programs annually however the Town of Renfrew reiterates its preference for a July 29, 2023 transition date.

On June 24, 2020, the Town of Renfrew passed Resolution No. 2020-06-34 requesting to transition our Blue Box Program to full producer responsibility on July 29, 2023. This decision was based on the Town’s Blue Box Collection and Processing Contracts which expires on July 28, 2023. The contracts for these services were jointly tendered with the neighbouring municipalities of the Town of Arnprior and Township of McNab/Braeside. These partnering municipalities have been selected to transition in 2023, leaving the Town of Renfrew to transition in 2025.
These municipalities jointly tendered these services to increase efficiencies such as allowing the contractor to maximize resources such as personnel and collection vehicles between the three municipalities, thereby reducing the cost to the each partnering municipality and consolidating our promotion and education program, allowing the municipalities to reduce cost and have standard messaging to our residents. With our partnering municipalities transitioning to full producer responsibility two years earlier, our blue box collection costs will increase for the remaining 2 years until transition in 2025.
We appreciate your consideration.
Sincerely,
Tyler Armstrong
Environnmental Engineering Officer
Town of Renfrew