Ontario announces major revamp to e-waste recycling plan

TORONTO (Scrap Monster): The provincial administration has announced major change to its recycling program. According to the announcement, the eco fee will be eliminated from consumer bills. Instead, the product’s price tag by electronics device manufacturers will add a recycling fee. The move is aimed at boosting Ontario’s recycling rate which is presently one of the worst in the country.

According to sources within the Liberal government, the current program lacks incentives in order to ensure that manufacturers of electronic goods do the needful in recycling their products. The modification would mean lower prices for consumers. Instead of the cost being added to the consumer when purchasing the new device, the costs would be built into the price. It would no longer appear like tax on the receipt.

The eco fee or the environmental handling fee currently charged on devices varies from 75 cents for small items to as high as nearly $40 for larger devices. The fee, aimed to cover the eventual cost of refurbishing or recycling, is fixed by industry cartels. The drawback of the scheme is that consumers are forced to pay the fixed fee even if it costs less to recycle a particular product. Also, the fee has not helped in reducing waste.

The draft of the new proposal by Environment and Climate Change Minister Glen Murray encourages businesses to design long-lasting, reusable and easily recyclable products. The businesses will get ample time to adapt to the new reform, as it expects to be rolled out fully over the next two to four years.

Meantime, Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown has expressed concern that eco charges will not be visible for Ontario shoppers. He noted that the proposal doesn’t eliminate the cost for consumers, but is just hiding it. Even if it’s hidden, it is still a tax, he added.