Members Only Articles

Yesterday, the provincial government added a draft regulation to its posting on the Environmental Registry to wind up industry funding organizations (IFOs), which include Stewardship Ontario, Ontario Electronic Stewardship and Ontario Tire Stewardship.

The regulation includes some general changes to ensure the Corporations Act applies to IFOs while laying out the role of the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) during the wind-up process.

IFO board members can voluntarily choose to start winding up their operations and appoint a liquidator, who would be approved by the Authority. Or board members could vote to pass a resolution in support of applying for a court-supervised wind-up.

The regulation also includes an added safeguard to allow the Authority or an administrator appointed by the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change to submit an application to the court in cases where it is believed that:

• the IFO’s wind-up process is inconsistent with the plan that was approved by the Authority, or,
• the process does not comply with the Waste Diversion Transition Act or its regulations.

This safeguard will help to ensure the orderly and timely wind-up of IFOs and Ontario’s existing recycling programs, which aligns with the OWMA’s priorities and support for transitioning to producer-responsibility regulations under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act.

If you have any questions or comments, please let us know by calling (905) 791-9500.

Yesterday, China notified the World Trade Organization that it plans to stop receiving shipments of several different types of waste later this year, including mixed-paper and plastics.

In response to China’s WTO filing on July 18, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) issued a stern statement, warning of the “devastating impact” a ban would have, including the “loss of tens of thousands of jobs” and the “closure of many recycling businesses throughout the United States.” At the same time, China is undertaking a major inspection campaign of plastics recyclers operating inside its borders, which has already led to shrinking end-markets for plastic waste.

The ISRI said in its statement that it has already alerted the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the U.S. Department of Commerce about its concerns related to a ban and has briefed American officials, who are meeting with Chinese representatives today as part of the U.S.-China Comprehensive Economic Dialogue.

The American media are reporting that today’s discussions between the U.S. and China got off to a tense start, and that both countries have cancelled their press conferences. 

China is a major player in the global recycling industry, accepting as much as 56% of all plastic waste imports, according to Reuters. A potential ban would create serious challenges in Canada and across the globe. At this point, it is unclear what the Government of Canada’s position is on this matter.

Today, the Ontario Waste Management Association released a new guide to provide step-by-step advice on Enhancing Pollinator Habitats at Waste Management Sites.

The OWMA worked with Pollinator Partnership and Shared Value Solutions to produce this comprehensive guide, which breaks down how to create, maintain and enhance pollinator habitat areas at open and closed landfills sites, as well as other waste management facilities.

“Our association has and continues to play an active role in creating and conserving habitat areas to support pollinator health in our province,” said Gord White, OWMA CEO. “We hope that this guide will serve the sector in developing more pollinator habitat sites and contribute to the success of the provincial government’s efforts to maintain healthy pollinator populations in Ontario.”

The “Create” section of the guide explains how to select and prepare an appropriate pollinator habitat site at a landfill or a waste management facility. The “Maintain” section provides guidance on spring clean-up, post-fall seed planting and herbicide applications. And the “Enhance” section includes recommendations on maintaining habitats for specific pollinators, including hummingbirds and different species of bees and butterflies. The guide also explores budgeting, monitoring and conducting research at pollinator sites.

This special project received support from several OWMA members, which include: GFL Environmental Inc., the City of London, the Region of Niagara, the Region of Peel, Walker Environmental Group Inc., and Waste Connections of Canada.

“We appreciate the leadership and support of the OWMA’s membership on this important project,” White said. “Many OWMAmembers are already maintaining pollinator habitats at landfills and waste management facilities, and we trust this guide will provide the tools needed for even more of our members to create and maintain their own sites.”

To read the guide, click here. If you have any questions, please give us a call at (905) 791-9500.

File Attachments

• Enhancing Pollinator Habitats at Waste Management Sites

Last year, the Ontario Waste Management Association (OWMA) embarked on a major data collection

and analysis initiative to better understand data related to waste management in the province. This

initial State of Waste Report will become an annual publication, which will be expanded and refined

based on the needs of the sector.

This data will be helpful in shaping future policy decisions for the waste management sector; enable

those in the industry to make better business decisions; and provides better information to inform and

educate the broader public. The initial data collected questions many assumptions such as the

available remaining capacity in landfills and the amount of waste disposed of annually. It is important

to underline that this first report offers just a hint of the utility of this new database to analyze data in

the sector. Before more complicated analysis can be done, it is important to ensure the rigour in the

data. While the database is more comprehensive and accurate than anything currently in place, this

will be a continuous process of adding to and refining it. It is also important to ensure data is being

captured and analyzed in the most accurate manner – this becomes increasingly important as waste

composition changes over time.

File Attachments

• BN - State Waste in Ontario Landfill Report - February 24 2016 (2).pdf