CSSA Reporting Webinar

On April 29th, CSSA held a webinar designed to help stewards in the preparation of their steward reports. Over 400 businesses joined to learn about:

• tools and resources available to stewards to assist in the preparation of their reports
• answers to commonly asked questions, and
• guidance on how to submit a steward report in seven simple steps.

Materials from webinar:

• Webinar - click here to view the webinar
• Presentation - click here to view the presentation
• Q&A - click here to view the Q&A

If you have any questions about preparing or submitting your steward report, which needs to be submitted by May 31, please do not hesitate to contact CSSA's Steward Services team at:  1-888-980-9549 or [email protected].

Webinar - Updates to Membership Agreements and Rules, and introduction to Fee Setting Methodology Project

On March 17, 2015, CSSA held a webinar to review updates to the MMBC and MMSW Membership Agreements, and to the Stewardship Ontario Blue Box Rules for 2015. The webinar also introduced the activities that have been completed to initiate the Fee Setting Methodology Project. This project responds directly to stewards' requests to review the methodology for setting fees for our packaging and printed paper stewardship programs (more information on this project is below). 

Materials from webinar:

• Webinar - click here to view the webinar
• Presentation - click here to view the presentation
• Q&A - click here to view the Q&A

Fee Setting Methodology Project

CSSA has initiated a project to explore alternative methods for the calculation of material fee rates for packaging and printed paper programs in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.  Stewards have commented that the current fee setting methodology is complicated and difficult to explain. In addition, the evolution of the recycling system in Canada, including the many advances in technology used to sort waste and the changing mix of materials supplied and managed, requires a complete review of the way we calculate stewardship fees to ensure it reflects the realities of today's recycling markets and the way recycling is managed.  

The success of the project is dependent upon stakeholder input.  A Steward Consultation Committee (SCC) has been formed which will play an important role in providing steward input into the design of the new methodology.  This committee will participate in at least six workshops from May to October and will hear input from other interested stakeholders.  CSSA will update the broader steward community on progress on the fee project on a regular basis. Stay tuned for more information. 

MMBC Celebrates its First Birthday

On May 19th 2015, MMBC marked its one year anniversary of providing residents across British Columbia with expanded packaging and printed paper recycling services.  Please click here for more on MMBC accomplishments during its first year of operation. 

Canada Winter Games Recap

In December 2014, MMBC was announced as an official sponsor of the 2015 Canada Winter Games held in Prince George, BC. MMBC provided 550 receptacles that were used to collect recycling during the games. These receptacles have now been provided to Emterra Environmental and will be used to collect recycling from the 4,300 multi-family units in Prince George. Emterra is the collector that collects recycling at curbside from Prince George households as part of the MMBC packaging and printed paper recycling program.

Providing multi-family recycling collection in Prince George has always been part of MMBC's plan and partnering with the Games allowed MMBC to support recycling at an important community event, and enabled the Games to leave a legacy for Prince George residents.

MMBC Managing Director Allen Langdon at the Canada Winter Games Press Conference on December 4, 2014

Encouraging Residents to Recycle More

In 2014, MMBC ran a successful launch campaign to help educate residents about the changes to their recycling program. This campaign ran throughout 2014 and helped to increase awareness about the program and direct residents to the RecyclingInBC website where they could obtain more information about recycling in their communities.

MMBC is now running a new campaign that launched in April 2015. This campaign focuses on the "Second life" of recycling and what happens to materials once they are set out for recycling. The campaign features in print, online, billboard, and on radio and uses a video to illustrate what happens to materials once they are picked up for recycling.

Program Update

As most stewards know, the MMSW program did not launch in January 2015 as planned due to the Minister of Environment's last minute decision in December to make some fundamental changes to the MMSW program plan.  MMSW continues to have discussions with the Saskatchewan government in anticipation of launching a revised program later this year.  We will communicate with stewards as soon as there is any news to share. 

Bag it Forward - Plastic Bag Recycling Program
 

MMSM is proud to announce the launch of a made in Manitoba program, the Bag it Forward - Plastic Bag Recycling Program! Winnipeg Harvest is a not-for-profit, community based organization and food distribution center for food banks across Manitoba. Every year, they go through approximately 1 million plastic bags at their food bank and more at other locations. In response to that, MMSM partnered with Winnipeg Harvest to give Manitobans more options on how they can reuse and recycle the plastic bags already in their homes. The program encourages consumers to drop off their gently used bags at a local food bank so they can be reused to create food kits for families in need.   
 

Since the launch on April 23, 350 recycling bins were rolled out in Winnipeg and Brandon. The response has been so positive, MMSM is looking at ways to install bins in other areas in the province.

Click here for view the Bag it Forward video.

Former Minister of Conservation Gord Mackintosh, MMSM Executive Director Karen Melnychuk and Winnipeg Harvest's Executive Director David Northcott.

Paint ISP Transition 

On December 10, 2015, the Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO) board approved the Product Care Association (Product Care) ISP for paints and coatings. Stewardship Ontario is actively working with Product Care to ensure a seamless transition for paint stewards and has released a series of communications outlining the details of the transition. We want to take this opportunity to thank stewards of paints and coatings for their participation in the Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste (MHSW) program and for playing a central part in helping to successfully recycle paints and coatings in Ontario. 

WDO has confirmed that June 30, 2015 will be the official date Product Care's ISP takes effect. More information about Product Care's ISP can be found on its website here, including instructions on how to register with Product Care.

Bathroom Campaign

Last year, SO ran a fibres campaign in partnership with Ontario municipalities to encourage residents to recycle more bathroom packaging products. This year, SO is running a similar campaign but with a broader scope of materials - all of which originate in the bathroom:

• Body wash bottles
• Toilet paper rolls
• Toothpaste cartons
• Shampoo bottles
• Moisturizer cream bottles
• Boxboard boxes for hygiene products
• Soap bar cartons
• Shaving cream/deodorant/ hair spray aerosol cans.