Region preparing for big changes in Blue Box recycling

Companies that supply Ontario market with paper and packaging products will be responsible for collection, communications, replacing blue boxes and dealing with complaints and concerns from residents.

Thestar.com
Feb. 15, 2023
Bill Sawchuck

One thing we know for sure about the massive changes underway in Blue Box recycling mandated by the province -- someone will still be picking up Niagara’s household recycling from the curb every two weeks starting Jan. 1, 2024.

Whether it will be a truck contracted by the Region still has to be negotiated for the transition period as the producers assume the complete control and costs of recycling in Niagara in 2026.

The producers include any company supplying paper and packaging-like products into the Ontario market, including online sales, the Region’s director of waste management, Catherine Habermebl, told the Region’s Public Works Committee Tuesday.

“For simplicity, 11 months from now, it is not our responsibility to pick up Blue Box recycling,” St. Catharines Coun. Brian Heit said. “It will be someone else’s, and they’ll be paying for it, but we could negotiate with them and they may pay us pick it up for them.”

Habermebl confirmed the producers will have to pay 100 per cent of the costs for the residential recycling, including collection, communications, replacing blue boxes and dealing with complaints and concerns from residents.

Fort Erie Coun. Tom Insinna, the vice-chair of the Public Works committee, asked Habermebl if she anticipates the Region will use its communications resources to help residents understand the changes -- and will bill the producers for the work.

“To me, it seems as if we might be doing some of their work for them,” Insinna said.

Habermebl said, in the short run, it is likely in the Region’s best interest to promote the transition before it begins in 2024, so residents understand the changes.

“Certainly, once the Region transitions out on Jan. 1, if we want to undertake promotion, we’ll have to negotiate with the Pros (producer responsibility organizations). They are responsible for the cost of any promotions.”

During the transition period, the producers will also have to maintain all the service levels for “eligible sources” such as parks, playgrounds, sidewalks, public transit stops and stations and publicly owned or non-profit long-term care homes.

However, the act doesn’t require the producers to collect recycling from a list of “noneligible sources.” That list includes special events such as fairs and festivals, industrial and commercial properties, places of worship and the public-facing areas of municipal buildings and facilities including libraries and arenas.

“Is it just me, or are some of these conditions coming into play taking us on a major step backward,” Lincoln Coun. Rob Foster said. “You’ve laid out the noneligible sources, and it seems we’re going in the wrong direction.”

Habermebl said the Region can still negotiate with the producer organizations to maintain recycling programs in Niagara, including ones that collect from ICIs (industrial, commercial, and institutional properties).

“We don’t have what they will pay us or what it cost, but keep in mind when we are talking about budgets, the residential portion of our overall collection costs on Blue Boxes is much higher than the cost of servicing the ICIs,” Habermebl said.

“We just looked at the 2023 budget, and the budget for curbside residential programs is around $15 million. For the ICIs, it’s just $1 million. Once we get the information and do the analysis, we can bring back some recommendations on some of these decisions to this committee.”