Stewardship Ontario Board Approves Draft Revised Blue Box Program Plan

Plastics Market Development Key to
Achieving 50%

At its meeting on March 16, Stewardship Ontario’s Board of Directors approved the Draft Revised Blue Box Program Plan and has submitted it the Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO) Board for review.  Developed in response to new parameters requested by the Minister of the Environment last August, the draft plan positions the Blue Box program to meet a 2011 year-end target of 70% waste diversion – an increase of 20% since the program launched in 2003.

• Draft Revised Blue Box Program Plan
• Draft Revised Blue Box Program Plan - Report on Consultation

The Challenge of Getting to 70%

The draft program plan maps out how improving recycling performance in multi-residential housing, including Blue Box materials collected through charity drives and expanding the list of designated Blue Box waste to include packaging-like materials, will boost the current recycling rate of 66%, but won’t push it to the required 70%.

The primary reason is the changing composition of Blue Box materials. Overall tonnage is declining as a result of both decreases in the sales and size of print media and increases in lighter-weight, harder-to-recycle, mixed plastic packaging, such as the clear containers commonly used for fruit and baked goods.

Improving Markets for Blue Box Mixed Plastics Key to Achieving New Target

Getting to 70% diversion can only be reached by significant investments in market development for hard-to-recycle mixed plastics which comprise an increasing volume of Blue Box waste. Stewardship Ontario has committed up to $3 million per year over the next three years to develop the supply chain that will lead to new end markets for these materials.

Next Steps  

WDO will accept comments on the draft plan at wdo@wdo.ca until noon on March 23.

For more information:

• Read the full Draft Revised Blue Box Program Plan
• Check out the Webcast materials:
  • Full colour - 1 slide per page
  • Printer-friendly - 6 slides per page
  • Webcast Archive

Questions should be directed to:

Steward Services
Toll-free: 1-888-288-3360
Email: werecycle@stewardshipontario.ca

Fees & Rules for 2010 Blue Box Approved

The proposed 2010 BBPP stewards rules and the preliminary 2010 BB stewards fee rates presented at the September 10, 2009 consultation. They were revised based on stakeholder comments received and subsequently approved at the Stewardship Ontario Board meeting on October 19, 2009 and the Waste Diversion Ontario Board Meeting on October 28, 2009.

| 2010 BBPP Rules & Blue Box Stewards' Fee Rates |

For more information:
Barbara McConnell, VP Communication & Stakeholder Relations
bmcconnell@stewardshipontario.ca
Office: 416-323-0101, ext. 159
Mobile: 416-452-2373