Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment said today that it's clear that Ontario's current Blue Box Program is unsustainable.
He made the statement in response to a report by Special Advisor David Lindsay on how Ontario can better manage recycling and plastic waste.
"Recycling rates have been stalled for 15 years and up to 30 per cent of what is put into blue boxes is sent to landfill," said Yurek.
Over 240 municipalities have their own separate lists of accepted recyclable materials, which affects cost savings and contamination, and program costs are expected to increase by approximately $10 million per year after 2019.
See: The losing economics of recycling
There is also the serious problem of plastic pollution and litter increasingly plaguing our parks, roads and waterways says the report.
In June, Lindsay was appointed as Special Advisor on Recycling and Plastic Waste to address these concerns and the growing issue of plastic waste and litter.
The government wants to transition the Blue Box Program to make producers responsible for managing the plastic and other packaging they produce.
Lindsay submitted his report with recommendations on how to effectively transition the program to producer responsibility while improving recycling and increasing products that can go into the blue box.
"I look forward to providing an update later this summer on our next steps, including how we will consult with stakeholders, the public and Indigenous communities. I'm confident we can enhance Ontario's Blue Box legacy and provide greater opportunities for the people of this province to do their part to keep our environment healthy, clean and beautiful for future generations," added Yurek.
The current Blue Box Program has been in place since the 1980s and had world-renowned success in recovering residential printed paper and packaging for recycling.
Based on 2017 costs, municipalities would save about $125 - $175 million annually once full producer responsibility for the Blue Box Program is put in place says the government,
It is estimated that almost 10,000 tonnes of plastic debris enter the Great Lakes each year.
