An article in The Star has reported that Ontario will be canceling environmental handling charges for consumer electronics and tires under the Waste-Free Ontario Act, passed Wednesday, June 1, 2016. This act is meant to make it easier for Ontarians to recycle more products at designated depots and to reduce deposits made to garbage dumps.
“It’ll be implemented over a couple of years,” Environment Minister Glenn Murray told The Star. “You’ll see more systems to recover materials, which will reduce costs.”
Under the new system, manufacturers will be required to cover the cost of recycling. According to Murray, this will incentivize them to design products with more durability in mind.
“You have to design it now to reuse it or recover it because you’re responsible for the end-of-life costs,” Murray said.
While the cancellation of eco fees is being largely applauded, Parliament member Peter Tabuns tells The Star he is concerned at the lack of a definite deadline.
“This transition phase could last forever,” he said.
Parliament member Lisa Thompson told The Sun her party insisted on changes to the bill requiring the government to report on its progress annually.
“We’ll keep pushing them until these eco taxes are gone,” she said. “We are holding this government to account … we need to see eco taxes phased out.”
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