Re: A Misplaced Groin Kick to the Economy". April 1/2014 editorial
Packaging and printed paper stewardship is good for the environment, residents, and yes, even B.C. business.
Curbside recycling is coming to Prince George this fall and with this new service, made possible through Multi-Material BC (MMBC)'s packaging and printed paper stewardship program, residents will have the opportunity to recycle more items than ever before. From milk cartons to plant pots and aluminum foil packaging to drink cups, these items will be diverted from landfill, cutting waste costs and supporting local and provincial environmental goals.
MMBC is the latest among more than 20 Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs introduced in British Columbia over the past two decades, which has seen industry assume responsibility for end-of-life management of items such as beverage containers, electronics, paint, used oil, tires and batteries. The intention of EPR is to encourage producers to make and sell products that are more durable, more environmentally sustainable, and that ideally never become waste at the conclusion of their use.
These programs work by shifting the costs and responsibility for recycling the items back to the producers who created them, instead of municipal taxpayers. By using the EPR model, industry, through MMBC, will save residents nearly $85 million per year in recycling costs while providing an incentive for packaging and paper producers to reduce their packaging or use more recyclable materials.
The impact of the packaging and printed paper program on small businesses will be limited. Only 2,000 - 3,000 businesses across the province - a fraction of the approximately 385,000 businesses resident in B.C - are expected to register with the MMBC program. This is in large part because most small businesses in the province do not supply packaging and printed paper to residents, and therefore are not affected by the Recycling Regulation.
With respect to the costs of the program, it is up to individual businesses to determine how they manage their costs of participating in the MMBC program; however, many of the program fees for recycling packaging or printed paper materials work out to less than one cent on a per unit basis.
For the program to be successful, MMBC is working alongside manufacturers, retailers and governments to benefit consumers, and in doing so, is driving toward a shared goal of diverting packaging and printed paper from landfills and building an effective and efficient recycling system.
Allen Langdon,
Managing director of Multi-Material British Columbia
