Pre-registration for blue box funding commences

Companies designated as stewards under Ontario’s Waste Diversion Act will be able to pre-register on-line as of August 15, 2003. The companies will also be able to receive compliance guidebooks to help them prepare for their upcoming obligations, once the Minister of Environment approves the plan. Approval is expected sometime this fall.

At the Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO) meeting in late July, industry representatives expressed concerns about the industry cost requirements to fund the new municipal waste diversion plan. The real costs for industry are reportedly about 25 per cent higher than were previously estimated.

WDO is a partnership made up of industry, municipal, non-governmental representatives and the Ontario Ministry of Environment to develop, implement and fund waste diversion programs. Under this partnership, industry funding will pay municipalities 50 per cent of their blue box program net costs. The group will also develop programs for other wastes such as scrap tires, used oil, household special wastes, organics, etc.

The WDO board already approved the program plan in February and the posting on the Environmental Bill of Rights registry ended in May. The Ontario Minister of Environment was expected to make a decision on the plan shortly after. However, there were complications with former minister Chris Stockwell (who has since retired from politics) and the new minister Jim Wilson has not provided approval yet.

Stewardship Ontario, the blue box industry funding organization staffed by CSR: Corporations Supporting Recycling, advised brand-owners to prepare for a June 1, 2003 obligation date. The date of obligation will now obviously be later, assuming the plan is approved. In the meantime, WDO has developed interim consultation plans for those affected by diversion programs to manage used oil and tires.

For further information, contact the WDO at 416-226-5113 or wdo@wdo.ca