Citizens' Network on Waste Management




Summary

The Citizens' Network on Waste Management has carried out a consultation process to develop a strategy to promote refillables and reuse in Ontario. Representatives/staff from municipalities, environmental groups, industry and industry associations in support of refillables and/or deposit-return systems were invited to participate. We will be submitting the strategy we developed, which is documented in this report, to the Minister of Environment and Energy in response to the Ministry's request for alternative approaches to promote refillable/reusable packaging in Ontario.

We adopted six principles that guided the development of our refillables strategy:

  1. Zero waste to disposal as an ideal
  2. Increased environmental protection through implementation of the 3Rs hierarchy
  3. Full producer responsibility for the products they produce - no taxpayer subsidies
  4. Regulations that ensure refillables targets are achieved
  5. A convenient system for consumers to return products to producers
  6. Fair and equitable treatment of all producers, domestic and foreign

Our refillables strategy has seven major components:

  1. Regulations with increasing refillables targets and a timetable for their adoption
  2. Deposit-return systems
  3. Start with deposits on all beverage containers
  4. Convenient return to retail with adequate compensation for retailers
  5. A curbside collection system based on full producer responsibility
  6. Education on product take-back and reuse
  7. Consultation on methods for meeting refillables targets

During our consultation process, participants identified seven options for meeting refillables targets: the legal fix, prohibition of non-refillables, municipal licence to sell non-refillables, half-back deposit-return system, green fees, limits through legal agreements, and tradeable permits. Each of these options requires further investigation and consultation before a preferred option or mix of options is adopted.

We propose that the Minister of Environment and Energy establish a multi-stakeholder consultation. The goal of the consultation is to develop preferred options for meeting refillables targets. These options must be designed to ensure that Ontario will have a significant, growing percentage of its beverages and other products sold in refillable containers supported by a comprehensive deposit-return system.


 Back to Index


 Back to Homepage