Consultations begin on Ontario Electronic Stewardship’s Wind-Up Plan

The Ontario Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) is consulting with stakeholders and the public on Ontario Electronic Stewardship’s (OES) Wind-Up Plan for the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Program. Public comment on the 85-page OES Wind up Plan will be accepted by the RPRA until April 18th.

Background on the Ontario Electronic Stewardship

Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES) is an Industry Funding Organization (IFO) designated to operate the waste diversion program for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) under the Waste Diversion Transition Act, 2016 (WDTA). Since its inception in 2009, the WEEE program has diverted over 67 million electronic devices or over 500,000 tonnes of waste electronics from Ontario landfills. The WEEE program promotes the re-use and refurbishment of waste electronics and ensures that the valuable resources found in waste electronics, that cannot be re-used, are processed and recycled in an environmentally responsible manner.

Why is OES being wound up?

In 2016 the Ontario legislature passed the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 (RRCEA) which creates a new legislative framework for managing waste in Ontario. Current waste diversion programs and related IFOs, such as Ontario Electronic Stewardship, will be wound up subject to provisions under the WDTA. Under the RRCEA, producers will be responsible for the implementation of new waste diversion programs that must meet recycling targets and objectives established under that Act.

Under the WDTA wind up process IFOs are required to develop wind up plans in accordance with specified statutory requirements once directed to do so by the Minister. Subsection 14 (13) of the WDTA requires IFOs to consult with stewards, municipalities and other stakeholders affected by termination of the program in developing wind up plans. IFOs submit wind up plans to the Resource Recovery and Productivity Authority (RPRA) which reviews and approves the plan if it is consistent with the Minister’s direction and statutory requirements.

In February 2018, OES received direction from the former Minister of Environment and Climate Change to wind up the WEEE program by June 30, 2020. (Note: In July 2018 the Honourable Rod Phillips, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, assumed responsibility for administering the RRCEA and WDTA statutes.)

What’s Next in Ontario with respect to WEEE?

After wind up, electrical and electronic equipment will be managed under a new, mandatory individual producer responsibility (IPR) framework. This means that producers of electrical and electronic equipment will be responsible for ensuring their products and packaging are collected and reused or recycled at end-of-life. The RPRA is mandated by the Government of Ontario to oversee the wind up of Ontario’s current waste diversion programs and enforce IPR requirements.

Public Information and Feedback Sessions

The RPRA is hosting several sessions to present key elements of the plan for feedback and to answer any questions you may have. The sessions are open to all WEEE Program participants, municipalities, the public and other interested stakeholders.

The RPRA is encouraging all interested organizations and persons to attend to learn more about the wind-up, the new framework for electrical and electronic equipment.

The sessions consist of a presentation that will explore key aspects of OES’s proposed wind-up plan and there will be time for your questions. The Authority will also consult on OES’s revised projection for program surplus, which is based on information that was not available at the time of OES’s consultations.

The schedule for public consultations can be found in the table below.

Feedback on the Wind-Up Plan is due by 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 18. You can provide feedback via email to [email protected].