Ontario proposes changes to Blue Box recycling program

The Ontario government has announced proposed legislative and regulatory changes to its provincewide Blue Box recycling program. The measures aim to improve transparency, strengthen accountability, and reduce costs for producers of packaging and paper products.

Under the current producer-funded model, multiple producer responsibility organizations (PROs) compete to provide collection and recycling services. The province seeks to amend the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act to allow for greater oversight of contract terms between PROs and producers. This includes regulating the fees paid for the collection and processing of recyclable materials to ensure more stable and predictable costs for businesses.

Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Todd McCarthy stated that the goal is to ensure small- and medium-sized businesses can effectively forecast and manage costs while ensuring producers, rather than taxpayers, remain responsible for waste creation.