Soft plastic now recyclable
Changes to Ontario’s recycling program should make it easier for residents to do the environmentally responsible thing.
Allen Langdon, CEO of Circular Materials, the not-for-profit agency representing producers, says the list of products that can be recycled has expanded, and is now standardized across the province.
In Simcoe County, recycling pick-up has been contracted to Emterra Recycling. The first scheduled pick-up in the Clearview area was Jan. 7. That launch was fraught with problems, some of them weather related, which resulted in pick-ups missed for many residents.
Historically, Ontario’s blue box program was operated by municipalities and First Nations communities who were responsible for paying about half of the costs of the program, with producers responsible for the other half. Now, under a new regulation, Ontario is transitioning to a new model where producers – the companies that produce the products and packaging – will be responsible for operating and funding the program. According to Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Todd McCarthy will save municipalities over $171 million annually.
Extended producer responsibility makes businesses that sell products and packaging responsible for them over their full life cycle, encouraging companies to make more careful decisions about the materials they use in their packaging and products, and holding them responsible for the cost of recycling those products at the end of their life.
Under the previous system, there were big variations in what was recyclable. Some municipalities could afford complex programs to handle items like soft plastics. Others were limited to core recyclables. Availability of local sorting facilities and markets for recycled materials further limited what could be processed economically.
With the transition to a province wide, producer funded system, the list of recyclable materials in Simcoe County now includes hot and cold beverage cups, deodorant and toothpaste tubes, ice cream tubs, black plastic containers and frozen juice containers. Containers should be rinsed clean.
Accepted items include clean, dry shopping bags, bread bags, milk bags, newspaper sleeves, and dry cleaning bags.
Polystyrene (plastic #6) containers are still not recyclable.
The new unified material list will make it easier for residents to recycle, improving recovery rates. Extended producer responsibility is intended to advance innovation and improve environmental outcomes.
Under the new system, industrial, commercial and institutional properties lose municipal curbside blue box services. Rural residents using landfill depots may face new fees for dropping off recyclables.
If your recycling collection was missed, please contact customercareont@emterra.ca or 1-888-597- 1541. A complete list is available at circularmaterials. ca/recycleontario or use the County of Simcoe’s Waste Wizard.
What’s recyclable?
A number of new items are now recyclable in Ontario:
- Glass, metal, paper and fibre
- Toothpaste tubes, deodorant, hand cream tubes.
- Hard plastic – Laundry detergent and household cleaner jugs, shampoo, body wash, salad dressing, condiment, dish soap, mouth wash bottles, plastic beverage bottles (lids off).
- Plastic packaging and containers – Food trays, salad, yogurt, peanut butter, bakery and egg containers, plastic cups, plastic tubs and lids, black plastic containers.
- Small item plastic packaging – Hand sanitizer bottles, medication bottles, blister packs, plant pots.
- Flexible plastic packaging – Bags used for dry cleaning, bread, newspapers and flyers. Overwrap (paper towel & toilet paper, beverage containers). Coffee bags or deli pouches, chip bags, bubble wrap, snack wrappers, cereal liner bags, plastic gift bags.
- Foam packaging – Meat trays, takeout containers, cups, plates, bowls, foam packaging for products.
