The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) is hosting a webinar on November 27, 2019 to explain how affected stakeholders can take part in the development of a new regulation that will define how the producer-run Blue Box system will work.

 

Those interested in participating can register by November 22 with Marc Peverini, Senior Policy Analyst, Resource Recovery Policy Branch at [email protected] or 416-908-1528. The Ministry will provide further webinar details for those who confirm their participation.

 

The Ministry also announced that it established three working groups representing a broad collection of stakeholders interested in the new Blue Box system to inform the work on the regulations as well as the development of a policy paper which will be released in spring 2020 for public consultation. The policy paper will outline the key elements and a proposed approach for a producer responsibility regulation under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act. The Ministry says the draft regulation will be consulted on later in the year with the goal of a finalized regulation by early 2021.

 

The first step in transitioning the Blue Box program to full producer responsibility was initiated by a direction letter from the Minister to Stewardship Ontario on August 15, 2019. Stewardship Ontario is required to submit a Blue Box Program Wind Up Plan to the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) by June 30, 2020. It is anticipated that RPRA will approve the plan by December 31, 2020. The first communities will transition beginning January 1, 2023, with the entire province operating under the new framework by December 31, 2025.

 

Stewardship Ontario will continue to keep Blue Box stakeholders informed of MECP's regulation development and consultation opportunities, as well as its own Blue Box Wind Up Plan consultation details as they become available.

 

Kind regards,

Stewardship Ontario