New Blue Box program put business interests ahead of protecting the environment
BlogHEJSupport, Environmental Defence, Toronto Environmental Alliance, Canadian Environmental Law Association, Citizen’s Network on Waste Management, and Waste Watch Canada issued a press-release in response to the announced changes to Ontario’s Blue Box recycling program.
Nearly two-thirds of Ontario’s waste — from workplaces, malls and institutions like universities — is not covered under the new regulations. The Minister also indicated that, after consultation with businesses, recycling targets were lowered to make it easier for businesses to achieve them.
Environmental groups continue to be concerned that the targets for plastic recycling are too low and will mean that companies will still be able to produce and sell non-recyclable plastic films and bags, as well as dark-coloured rigid plastics, and send them for burning in an incinerator or buried in a landfill at the end of life.
“The program does not require producers to take responsibility for toxic contents of their materials, prevention and precaution through product innovations,” said Olga Speranskaya, Co-director at Health and Environment Justice Support. “This undermines the effective EPR approach and results in toxic additives contaminating the recycling stream and the environment.”
