Ready to Report webinars and resources
Nearly 400 stewards participated in recent reporting webinars to help them prepare to submit packaging and paper data in the WeRecycle Portal by the May 31 deadline. Webinar replays, presentations, questions and answers, and other information for new and experienced stewards are available on the 2021 Reporting Resources webpage.
Upcoming steward survey
CSSA has engaged Mission Research, an independent market research firm, to conduct a short online survey of stewards participating in the programs it supports. A link to the confidential survey will be sent by email near the end of March. Your participation is greatly appreciated and will help CSSA to improve its services and interactions with stewards. Please look for a link to the survey in your inbox and take a few minutes to complete it.
Material category project launches
With the recent completion of the Material Cost Differentiation (MCD) Project, CSSA is continuing its work to improve harmonization and fairness in the annual fee setting process. The Disaggregation and Material Category (DMC) Review Project was first introduced during MCD consultations in June 2020. DMC objectives are to realign material reporting categories and retire material fee aggregation. DMC project details and information on a Steward Consultation Committee are available on the CSSA website. 
CSSA joins Canada Plastics Pact
Canadian Stewardship Services Alliance Inc. recently joined with more than 40 organizations to launch the Canada Plastics Pact (CPP) and work collectively to end plastic waste and pollution. The CPP unites businesses, government, non-governmental organizations, and other key actors in the local plastics value chain to fundamentally rethink the way we design, use, and reuse plastic packaging. More information is available here.
Reporting guidance for regulation amendment
Further reporting guidance related to BC Recycling Regulation amendments was provided in January. Information is available for reporting Schedule 2 packaging containers (for certain solvents and flammable liquids and some pesticides) previously managed under Schedule 5 by the Recycle BC program. Recycle BC members were also advised to begin tracking of 2021 sales data of Single-Use Products and Packaging-Like Products (SUP/PLP) to prepare for the 2022 reporting cycle.
First Nations Recycling Initiative report available
The First Nations Recycling Initiative continued to engage with Indigenous communities in BC during 2020 to support recycling. Recycle BC, working with other stewardship program partners, collaborated with BC First Nations to provide recycling guidance and resources, and organize community collection events. See the 2020 Annual Summary Report for more information.
Second year for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reporting
Recycle BC recently completed the collection of 2020 operational data related to GHG emissions from its collection and post-collection partners. This is the second year Recycle BC is measuring GHG emissions associated with residential waste paper and packaging recycling activities. GHG emission results from 2019 were posted last year and Recycle BC will report its 2020 GHG emissions data in its annual report, published July 1. 
Communities add glass recycling
Recycle BC added curbside glass collection in three communities to increase resident convenience and collection efficiencies. Collection of glass bottles and jars from homes in Prince George, Quesnel and the North Okanagan started December 2020.
Stewardship regulation review seeks feedback
MMSW stewards are invited to comment on a discussion paper recently released by the Ministry of Environment as part of its review of the province’s Household Packaging and Paper Stewardship Program Regulations and the Multi-Material Recycling Program. The paper seeks input on topics that include full EPR and business exemptions. Submissions are due by April 30 and an online survey is available. The discussion paper and information about the feedback options are available on the Saskatchewan government website.
Collectors reporting on GHG emissions
MMSW is successfully working with its collector network to initiate its first year of reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the collection and recycling of residential waste packaging and paper. MMSW’s Stewardship Plan requires collectors to gather GHG information and it will be included in the 2020 annual report.
100% full-EPR plan being developed
MMSM was recently directed by the Minister of Conservation and Climate to develop a plan by the end of 2021 to transition the province’s packaging and paper recycling program to 100% or full Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). MMSM stewards currently pay 80% of verified municipal costs. MMSM has contracted CSSA for support in the development of this important initiative and will provide regular updates to stewards.
Municipal cost survey
MMSM has initiated its annual municipal Cost Monitoring Survey (CMS) process. Participation in the CMS is mandatory for communities that receive municipal support payments for recycling. The survey helps MMSM better understand Manitoba’s recycling system and provides a key input to annual municipal funding rates and the program budget.
Celebrating Recyclepedia’s first birthday
Since MMSM launched the online Recyclepedia tool one year ago, there have been more than 71,000 material searches, 32,000 user sessions, and 2,300 app downloads. The Recyclepedia tool gives Manitobans convenient, useful information to change their recycling behaviours and habits to reduce contamination. 
Blue Box Transition – Conflict of Interest submission
Stewardship Ontario submitted a revised Conflict of Interest Plan to RPRA on February 11 to address one of the conditions included in RPRA’s approval of the Blue Box Program Transition Plan. The conflict Plan codifies the program’s practices through new policies and by extending its Code of Conduct to all Stewardship Ontario employees. 
Proposed HSP Regulation posted for feedback
On February 11, the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks released the proposed Hazardous and Special Products (HSP) producer responsibility regulation under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016. The MHSW program is scheduled to terminate on June 30, 2021, when the new regulation is scheduled to be in effect. 
MHSW fee reduction update
Stewardship Ontario disbursed a total of $42.5 million toward fee reductions for MHSW materials as of January 31, 2021. The fee reduction process for the single-use battery category was completed in December 2020, while fee reductions are ongoing for the oil container, oil filter and pressurized container categories. As per the MHSW Wind Up Plan, potential fee reductions for Stewardship Ontario stewards in other MHSW categories remain under review. An aggregated summary of surplus funds disbursed by Stewardship Ontario related to the fee reduction process to date is available here.