The City of Toronto has reached an agreement to continue to provide recycling collection services to the residents of Toronto throughout the transition of Ontario’s Blue Box Program to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which will take place from July 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025. As part of the agreement, the City will also continue to provide transfer and haulage of recycling materials and promotion and education related to recycling.
The agreement was reached between the City and Circular Materials, a not-for-profit producer responsibility organization (PRO) established to support producers in meeting their obligations under the Blue Box Regulation.
A staff report will be going to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee next Monday, January 30 to provide updates on the City’s transition to EPR. The report is available on the City’s website.
The Province released the Blue Box Regulation in June of 2021, which will shift the financial and operational responsibility of recycling from municipalities to the producers of packaging, paper and packaging-like products. Responsibility for Ontario Blue Box Programs will transition to producers between July 2023 and the end of December 2025, with Toronto being one of the first to transition on July 1, 2023.
The City acting as a recycling service provider throughout the EPR transition will help to ensure a seamless experience for Toronto residents and allow the City to retain jobs and recover recycling costs. The City is well-positioned to take on this role with the necessary waste management infrastructure in place and decades of experience running one of the largest and most comprehensive recycling programs in North America.
In June 2022, City Council granted the General Manager of Solid Waste Management Services with authority to negotiate and enter into service agreements with a registered PRO for the City to be contracted to provide recycling collection and management services throughout the EPR transition.
The City has a dedicated EPR team that is actively working to prepare for Toronto’s transition and to advocate for the best interests of the City and residents throughout the transition time period and beyond.
Quotes:
“I am pleased the City of Toronto has reached an agreement with Circular Materials to provide recycling collection services to the residents of Toronto throughout the Blue Box program transition period. The City is well-positioned to take on this role with decades of experience. Continuing to provide these services will allow the City to retain jobs and help to ensure a seamless experience for Toronto residents.”
– Mayor John Tory
“This move to Extended Producer Responsibility is a positive one as it will make producers operationally and financially responsible for the recycling of the paper and packaging they put into the marketplace. The City has taken a leadership role when it comes to Extended Producer Responsibility and is actively preparing for Toronto’s transition later this year.”
– Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park)
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