B.C. leads the way in Extended Producer Responsibility

by Keith Barker, Editor, Recycling Product News  

This past July, EPR Canada released results of the first Canadian Report Card on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).   

EPR Canada is the not-for-profit group that monitors the rate at which Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments are adopting legislative measures to make producers pay for managing the waste generated from their post-consumer products and packaging.   

EPR Canada judges rated each government’s performance based on responses their departments of environment provided to a questionnaire sent to each Environment Minister earlier this year. Scores reflect an evaluation of federal, provincial and territorial EPR policies and programs in place or pending by the end of 2011. 

“British Columbia clearly ranked well above the other governments. Its policies and programs designed to have producers pay 100 percent of the cost of managing many of their products and packaging after the consumer is finished with them are setting the bar high for other governments in Canada,” said EPR Canada co-founder, Geoff Love.

Love, like the other members of the organization have been central in developing EPR programs and policy drivers since extended producer responsibility was introduced to Canada in the 1990s. 

“British Columbia is seriously committed to the principles of reducing the amount of waste we produce,” said Terry Lake, B.C.’s Minister of the Environment. “We’ve worked hard for years to create policies that put responsibility fully in the hands of producers and consumers and we assess our progress continually to take stock of how we’re doing and what more we can do. This recognition comes at a time when we are about to expand EPR to printed paper and packaging and we are proud that our hard work and success in this important area of environmental stewardship is being acknowledged.” 

Minister Lake credited his Ministry of the Environment staff and industry for the successes BC has enjoyed.

“The success of our EPR programs is based on the efforts of the people in my department, along with the collaboration of business leaders throughout our province. They are the ones who make these programs work for all British Columbians,” he said. 

“Manitoba, Quebec and Nova Scotia came in close behind BC,” said Christina Seidel, another member of EPR Canada. “But BC’s leadership in developing policies and encouraging programs where the producers take lead responsibility instead of municipalities and regional waste authorities sets the best example for the rest of Canada. Our Report Card notes what each jurisdiction is doing well and where it can improve.” 

B.C. scored an A-, with Quebec, Manitoba and Nova Scotia scoring B- grades. Ontario and PEI scored a C+ each, while Alberta was given a C grade. Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Newfoundland & Labrador all scored C- grades. 

Notably, the only jurisdiction to receive a failing grade is the federal government. As for our territories, EPR Canada says that as a result of the unique challenges faced there, they chose not to allocate a score this year to the Yukon or the Northwest Territories, both of which submitted completed questionnaires. Both territories, the organization says, show progress toward putting EPR programs in place. The only jurisdiction not to respond to the questionnaire this year was Nunavut.

While EPR programs are helping to improve recycling rates, the system is not perfect. In particular, there is a lack of focus on providing incentive for manufacturers to design and engineer products from the start with their end of life in mind. 

The EPR Report Card, 2011 is available at www.eprcanada.ca.