For several weeks, Ontario farmers have been among the Ontario business owners fighting a sharp increase in stewardship fees meant to cover the costs of recycling off-road tires, including tires used on farm equipment. Now, following recent meetings with Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS), an industry organization consisting of tire manufacturers and distributors that is responsible for the recycling program, a revised fee structure has been put in place.
For the short term, OTS is proposing a reclassification on agricultural tires. Tires weighing between 70 and 250 kilograms will now carry a tire stewardship fee of $47.04 per tire. Tires in excess of 250 kilograms will have a fee of $182.28. OTS reports that 70% of agricultural tires are under 250 kilograms. These fees are based on the designation of new tire classes, and would be retroactive to April 1, 2013. This lower fee schedule is subject to the Ontario government revising the regulation to allow for this revised tire class.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) reluctantly accepts the new fee structure, as negotiated with OTS. The changes reflect fees that tire dealers charged farmers for tire disposal before OTS was created in 2009. However, the new fees are only a temporary solution, and OFA is committed to continuing to work with our members and industry to ensure government enables improvements in the tire recycling system to reduce costs and improve revenues. For the tire recycling program to be acceptable and successful in the long term, OTS needs to be efficient and develop strong end use markets for recycled tires.
The OFA will work with the industry to lobby the Ontario government to eliminate debt recovery for the off-road tire program – that was part of the reason for drastic fee increases put in place effective April 1, 2013. We urge Ontario’s government to enable the use of recycled tires as a fuel in Ontario and other jurisdictions subject to sound scientific practices that are environmentally sustainable. We also want to see the Ontario government develop end uses for recycled tires in civil engineering and other applications, and facilitate the development of a robust recycling/rubber processing industry in Ontario including research into alternative uses for recycled rubber products.
The OFA thanks all members who have used our new lobby website to send emails to MPPs, Premier Wynne and other key decision-makers about this important issue. Members sent hundreds of letters from communities across the province. We will continue to use actnow.ofa.on.ca for future lobby issues to advocate for profitable and sustainable farms.
Mark Wales is president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture
