GUELPH – Wellington County staff members are advising county councillors they need to decide if the county will play a role in recycling once the province-wide transition to full producer responsibility is completed.
While Wellington County’s transition from municipal to producer responsibility for collection and processing of recyclable materials is slated to begin in July of 2025, producers will not be responsible for handling industrial, commercial and institutional blue box material.
“We don’t anticipate residents will see many changes at the time on July 1, 2025 … When full producer responsibility takes over on January 1, that’s when we will see changes,” said councillor Steve O’Neill, who chairs the county’s solid waste services committee, at the Feb. 29 council meeting.
In a staff report, solid waste services manager Das Soligo suggests several ways the county could maintain limited recycling services to residents and/or businesses:
- allow residents to use county waste depots for recycling disposal;
- allow businesses to use depots for recycling disposal; and
- establish business recycling collection routes in downtown areas.
“There will be service impacts for the industrial, commercial and institutional sector and also potentially for residents who use Wellington County waste facilities for their recycling disposal needs,” Soligo states in the report.
He added decisions will need to be made as to whether the county “wishes to provide continuity for these services.”
The report notes the decisions are complicated because producers haven’t released a full set of terms for agreements with the county and any post-transition recycling services the county decides to provide would be at the municipality’s expense.
The primary organization representing producers, Circular Materials, has set a deadline of March 15, for municipalities to indicate whether they intend to have a role in providing recycling services during the transition period, which ends on Dec. 31, 2025.
Circular Materials is expected to finalize an agreement with the county’s current curbside collection contractor, Waste Management, to continue to provide services through the transition period.
Soligo stated this means collection will remain on the same days as currently scheduled.
“Two significant changes will be that [producers’ representatives] will be responsible for promotion and education related to recycling, and they will also be responsible for fielding inquiries and complaints related to recycling services,” the report points out.
Noting producers will not be funding recycling at waste facilities in municipalities where there is existing curbside collection services, Soligo explained council must decide whether to continue to allow residents to use the county’s waste facilities to drop off recyclable materials.
Allowing this would require an agreement to be signed with Circular Materials, with the county bearing the cost.
The report explains full producer responsibility for recyclables was initially to be limited to materials generated in the residential sector.
However, following feedback from municipalities and waste management associations, the list of eligible sources was expanded to include:
- schools;
- municipally or not-for-profit operated long-term care and retirement homes;
- parks and playgrounds; and
- transit stations.
Sources of recyclables that will be ineligible for services under the full producer responsibility regime include:
- municipal buildings and facilities;
- industrial, commercial and institutional organizations, including Business Improvement Areas;
- places of worship; and
- not-for-profit organizations.
Once the transition period ends, producers will be required to standardize and expand the list of recyclable items province-wide.
“At this time, residents will experience other notable changes to recycling services. For example, it is widely expected that residents will be provided large, wheeled carts to store their recyclables, and place them at roadside for collection,” states Soligo in the report.
“The day of collection for recyclable materials will change for the majority of residents and (producers) will have retained new contractors.”
Soligo pointed out the change in responsibility was developed in hope that once producers were bearing the full cost of recycling and were responsible for managing the recycling systems in the province, innovative approaches to waste management would result from the desire to reduce costs and increase efficiencies.
However, the fact there are currently no obligations related to recyclables generated in the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors is a source of frustration for many municipal staff and politicians, Soligo stated.
Noting the province has established waste diversion targets of 30% by 2020, and 50% by 2050, Soligo pointed out the Association of Municipalities of Ontario has indicated the 2050 target is likely not achievable without requiring industries, businesses and institutions to recycle materials generated in their facilities and operations.
“I think we’re going to have to move to a really good education process,” said Centre Wellington Mayor Shawn Watters.
“These changes are coming. I think we also need to be prepared for those cases dealing with businesses. I can tell you I hear all about it from both our BIAs. There’s going to be deep concern.”
Warden Andy Lennox noted the solid waste services division has developed a targeted communications plan to alert residents about the transition.
“So if you think there are gaps in that, please let staff know and we will see if we can fill those gaps,” he said.
Councillor Campbell Cork said there is “a lot more information to come … But I want to state right off the top, full producer responsibility is a misnomer.
“We’ve got a list of the things they’re not going to be responsible for, and it’s a bit of a scary list.”
Current estimates from staff indicate the switch from municipal to producer responsibility is expected save the county between $1.8 and $2 million annually, once fully implemented.
However, Cork expressed concern savings could be outweighed by unexpected costs.
When he first heard about the switch, Cork said, “I thought it sounded like a terrific idea. And what really made it sound terrific was that we were told we we’re going to save a million dollars …”
Now, he added, “I’ll be very surprised if that million dollars doesn’t evaporate five times over before we’re done with this.”
Councillor James Seeley suggested council make plans now to apply projected savings to programs aimed at filling anticipated gaps in service.
“Once that recycling money is moved somewhere else, to build a program to fill those gaps is going to be a much more challenging conversation,” he pointed out.
While information on the cost of the county providing limited recycling’s services is not yet available, the reports states staff will indicate to Circular Materials the county intends to have a role in limited recycling services during the transition period in order to keep options available.
Staff is expected to report back to the solid waste services committee and county council once information is available.
The report was accepted as information.
