Paint colours our world. Petroleum products keep things moving. Pharmaceuticals keep us well. And batteries power the devices we use to remain connected, informed and entertained. On the surface, these products don’t have much in common…but each of them requires special care when they’ve reached the end of their useful lives.
Like it or not, every product has a shelf life – and we all have a role to play in ensuring that the products we use every day are handled with the care they need when we’re finished with them.
That’s where the environmental fee – sometimes referred to as an “eco fee” – comes in. You may have noticed a separate fee added to the price of things like solvents, antifreeze, household cleaners or fertilizer at checkout. Some of your purchases requiring special care will have an additional “recycling” or “eco fee” added to the purchase – others may not. When you pay this fee, you’re helping ensure that these products are collected, recycled or reused. When that’s not possible, we’ll dispose of your leftovers in the most environmentally friendly way. And that’s good for you, good for your families and good for the environment.
What is an eco fee?
By law, our stewards – the companies that make or distribute the products that can be recovered through our Municipal Hazardous and Special Waste (MHSW) recycling program – pay fees based on the amount of “special materials” they put into the marketplace. When manufacturers or retailers opt to pass this cost on to consumers at point of purchase, the cost is often identified as an “environmental fee”, an “eco fee” or a “recycling fee.”
Does Stewardship Ontario determine the eco fee charged on products?
Stewardship Ontario has no authority over how stewards manage the fees within their operations. Our mandate, which originates with the Waste Diversion Act, is limited to assessing and collecting fees from the companies who make and market these special materials – what we call first importers or brand owners. The fees stewards pay us, which are based on the amount of materials they introduce into the marketplace, become one of their costs of doing business. They determine how their fees will be managed. Stewards can absorb the cost of their fees into their product price or pass the cost on to retailers who may show this fee separately on your receipt. Whichever way the fee is managed, be assured that the proceeds are used to protect our environment. It’s one way all of us – as consumers – take responsibility for ensuring the products we buy are managed safely when they’re used up or we no longer need them.
What products can eco fees be charged on?
Ontario legislation has resulted in the creation of three independent industry stewardship organizations – Stewardship Ontario, Ontario Electronic Stewardship and Ontario Tire Stewardship. Stewards associated with each may charge an eco fee at point of purchase. You may see this fee, for example, when you buy an MP3 player, a cell phone or tires. As of July 1, Stewardship Ontario’s MHSW program covers 22 types of materials – from paint, solvents and batteries, through to fluorescent lights, pressured containers, pharmaceuticals and pesticides. Visit our MHSW page for a full list of materials included in the program. Depending on the arrangement, the manufacturer or retailer has made, you may see an additional fee added to the base price of any of these products.
Is the eco fee a tax?
These fees are not a tax. Stewardship Ontario is not government, although we are regulated by government. In fact, every cent we receive from our stewards is used to pay for the programs that have made Ontario a recycling pioneer and that will mean less waste in landfill, less damage to our waterways and wildlife – and a better future for generations to come.
