Brad Whitelaw with Continuous Improvement Fund (CIF) provided a blue box transition presentation to Council regarding the shift of the Blue Box program to full producer responsibility, effective June 3, 2022. This means that producers will now manage the program's operations and finances. Residents will notice minimal changes, with the potential for more items to be accepted for collection.
The Township of Huron-Kinloss will transition to this system on December 31, 2025. The new regulations establish a common collection system across the province, integrating current municipal programs and expanding services for all communities.
"Producers" are defined as brand holders, importers, or retailers of products with blue box materials, such as grocery and retail items, including fast food packaging. Producers may join a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) to help fulfill their regulatory obligations, allowing them to comply with the new recycling management requirements.
Whitelaw reviewed eligible and non- eligible sources of collection under the new regulations. Non-eligible collection sources include Industrial/Commercial properties, institutions such as places of worship, municipal buildings and not-for-profit organizations, some campgrounds and commercial farms. Those collection sites were not previously eligible under older regulations, and are still not eligible under new regulations. Some properties may have mixed uses and eligible materials will still be collected, but in-eligible such as business materials would not be collected. The new regulations will additionally harmonize the list of designated materials across all municipalities. Huron-Kinloss residential customers should note no changes to pickup excepting that more items may be included in pickup as a result of this harmonization.
Specific Service Standards must be met in the new regulations. If residences previously had blue box pickup, they will continue to do so. The Standards also include provisions to align requirements based on curbside collection schedules.
Whitehall provided information on who would be considered as a Producer within the new regulations. Circular materials is the new Producer Responsible Organization (PRO), the lead organization representing producers, who will be leading the Township's transition to the new blue box program.
Committee of the Whole inquired about the costs to the municipality. Whitehall indicated that although municipalities would no longer pay the costs of implementing the blue box program, municipalities also could not recover any costs from the residential program either.
Whitehall confirmed that municipalities will not be responsible for collection and processing of residential materials. Communities have not been required in the past to collect non-eligible sites as noted above, although many communities have included some or all. The new regulations will not permit these non-eligible sources to be collected with residential materials.
Committee expressed concerns that continuing to provide these services to non-eligible sources would not be cost effective or viable without residential sources. Whitehall explained that some communities have been subsidizing the industrial and commercial sector in the past, and may continue to do so. Any contract to collect non-eligible sources would be at the municipalities expense.
Whitehall noted three options available to municipalities to deal with non-eligible sources:
1) no collection of materials
2) setup program at recycling depot and initiate a contract to collect and process materials
3) separate program collection with PRO
Committee expressed concern that this would unduly impact municipal landfill capacities, small business, libraries, etc.
The Council appointee to the Bruce Area Solid Waste Recycling (BASWR) Board of Directors provided information from the current Blue Box Program provider. BASWR has competed and was successful with the PRO to continue services in this area, which would result in a seamless residential sector transition. However non-eligible items will still not be available for collection. Staff are currently developing plans to address ineligible sources, and further information will be provided as it becomes available.