MYTHS

Myths and Facts: Setting the record straight on eco fees

MYTH: Stewardship Ontario is the agency overseeing eco fees, and an arm of government.
FACT: While we are regulated by government, we are not a government agency and receive no government funding – nor do we remit funds received from “Orange Drop” stewards to government. Our relationships start and end with our stewards; the only fee list over which we have any authority is the one that applies to our stewards. All of our operating funds are received from our stewards who pay fees based on the amount (by weight or volume) of the designated products they introduce into the Ontario marketplace.

MYTH: The eco fee is a “hidden” tax grab and an attempt to extort money from “struggling families” already hit by the GST.
FACT: The eco fee is not mandatory nor is it a tax – stewards have the option to pass the fees they pay Stewardship Ontario on to consumers. As one of the costs of doing business, the eco fee may be reflected in the product’s sticker price or it may be itemized on the cash register receipt and added to the product price at checkout. In either case, none of the monies collected in the form of eco fees go to government or Stewardship Ontario.

MYTH: Stewardship Ontario spent $2.5 million in public money on a campaign (that only started after the fact) to educate consumers about the eco fee.
FACT: The $2.5 million figure widely quoted in media reports refers to all the monies spent on our Orange Drop campaign – from communications with service providers and advertising, radio and TV spots, to a website, social media and a road show that will see Stewardship Ontario reach over 4 million Ontarians at events and festivals throughout the province this summer. Again, while public education is a requirement of the program, none of the monies used to fund it come from government.

MYTH: Consumers have never heard about the eco fee before – Stewardship Ontario should not have waited until after the program launch to inform consumers of the eco fee.

FACT: Environmental fees are nothing new – some stewards have elected to charge eco fees on designated products since the program launched in July 2008. While Stewardship Ontario has included explanatory material on our website and in brochures since that time, the issue has surfaced now because the additional 13 product categories have introduced a whole new range of products to which an eco fee may be applied.

So what’s this all mean for you? Your best bet as a consumer is to become familiar with the list of fees our stewards are required to pay, and be prepared for the types of eco fees that you may see on your cash register receipt at checkout. It might also help when you reach into your pocketbook to think of the fee as 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. And to consider the end result for Ontarians and our communities: less waste in landfills, less damage to our waterways and wildlife – and a better future for generations to come.