Product Stewardship in British Columbia

In British Columbia, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) (formerly referred to as Industry Product Stewardship) is an environmental policy approach in which the producer's responsibility for reducing environmental impact and managing the product is extended across the whole life cycle of the product, from selection of materials and design to its end-of-life. (Ministry of Environment).

Current Programs | EPR Updates | Packaging and Printed Paper EPR in B.C. | Other EPR Resources |

Current Programs

For a detailed description of each program, click on the logos or links below

EPR Updates

April 2013

Notice of Public Consultation: Encorp Pacific Beverage Container Stewardship Plan

Encorp was originally formed in 1994 and appointed by beverage brand owners as the not-for-profit product stewardship corporation responsible for all beverage containers and all alcohol beverage containers (except for aluminum beer cans and refillable beer bottles). Since inception, Encorp has fulfilled the requirements of the BC Recycling Regulation. This regulation calls for the submission of a revised plan every five years.

Stakeholders are invited to review the plan online: www.return-it.ca/stewardshipplan and submit feedback anytime until July 2, 2013. The plan will also be available for review at the following public meetings:

April 18, 2013 1:00pm – 3:00pm Bear Mountain Resort (1999 Country Club Way, Victoria)

April 23, 2013 1:00pm – 3:00pm Coast Capri Hotel (1171 Harvey Avenue, Kelowna)

May 10, 2013 1:00pm – 3:00pm BCIT Downtown Campus, (555 Seymour Street)

May 24, 2013 1:00pm – 3:00pm The Westin Resort & Spa (4090 Whistler Way, Whistler)

June 4, 2013 1:00pm – 3:00pm Sandman Signature Hotel (2990 Recplace Dr, Prince George)

June 12, 2013 1:00pm – 3:00pm Prestige, Rocky Mountain Resort (209 Van Horne St S, Cranbrook)

To register online for any one of the above-noted sessions visit www.return-it.ca/consultationregistration.

Mclaren Lighting - Draft Electrical Lighting Equipment Recycle Stewardship Plan

Mclaren Lighting is seeking feedback on its Draft Electrical Lighting Equipment Recycle Stewardship Plan. You can submit your feedback my email info@mclarenlighting.com or by mail to Mclaren Lighting at 3400 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC V8Z 3L5.

There will also be an online Webinar held on April 29, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. To register, please email info@mclarenlighting.com.

March 2013

Notice of Public Consultation: CESA Consumer Awareness and Accessibility Targets for 2014 & 2016

The Canadian Electrical Stewardship Association (CESA) is a national not-for-profit stewardship agency operating the ElectroRecycle small appliance and power tool recycling program in BC, in adherence with the BC Recycling Regulation. ElectroRecycle is operated according to CESA’s stewardship plan, approved by the BC Ministry of Environment (BCMoE) in July 2010. The program launched on October 1, 2011.

As a supplement to the approved stewardship plan, CESA committed to submitting targets regarding consumer awareness and collection facility accessibility levels by April 1, 2013.

To provide feedback on CESA’s proposed consumer awareness and accessibility targets, you are invited to attend a public consultation webinar or to submit written comments.

Public Consultation Webinar Details:
Date: March 14, 2013
Time: 10:00am PST / 1:00pm EST

To register for the webinar or to submit written comments, please contact Julie K. Robertson at julie@cesarecycling.ca. The deadline for written comments is March 27, 2013.

Consumer Awareness Targets:

The ElectroRecycle program has engaged in extensive communications efforts to inform British Columbians about the program since its launch, with a goal of maintaining sufficient consumer awareness level to facilitate the collection of materials from the general public and increasing consumer awareness levels on an annual basis. The CESA program achieved a consumer awareness level of 60% in July 2012 after nine months of program operation, determined by use of a consumer awareness survey conducted by an independent polling agency.

With a baseline consumer program awareness level of 60%, proposed targets for 2014 and 2016 are as follows:

Consumer Awareness Target
2014 62.5%
2016 65 %

CESA will need to continue to dedicate significant resources to awareness campaigns to maintain our strong foundation and to reach these ambitious yet attainable targets.

Collection Site Accessibility Targets:

The program’s collection site system provides a convenient and accessible network available to residents throughout the province of British Columbia. This network now includes 135 permanent collection sites, up from 103 sites at the program’s launch in 2011.

CESA is proposing an accessibility target of 95%, where access is defined as the presence of an ElectroRecycle collection facility within a 30 minute drive for B.C. residents living in urban areas and within a 45 minute drive for B.C. residents living in rural areas.

For more information please visit www.cesarecycling.ca or contact Julie K. Robertson at julie@cesarecycling.ca.

February 2013

Multi Material BC - Business Information Session - March 5, 2013 UBC Robson Square Vancouver 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

MMBC is hosting information sessions, one on Tuesday, March 5 in Vancouver and another on Thursday, March 7 in Toronto, where you can get answers to your questions:

What does extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging and printed paper mean in British Columbia?
How does the BC Recycling Regulation affect my business?
How will MMBC’s stewardship plan fulfill the obligations required of businesses?
What packaging and printed paper is included in the stewardship plan?
Who is responsible for paying the costs to collect and recycle PPP?
What role will MMBC play in helping business comply with environmental regulations?
What types of penalties could my business face for failure to comply?
What do I need to do to join MMBC?
Once I’ve joined MMBC, what happens next?
When will I know about fees and agreements?

Vancouver March 5, 2013
In Person & Webcast
UBC Robson Square - The Theatre
9 a.m. to 12 p.m. PST

Toronto - March 7, 2013
In Person Only
Holiday Inn Toronto - Yorkdale
9 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST

For more information visit: www.multimaterialbc.ca

See past updates

Packaging and Printer Paper EPR in British Columbia

Under the amended Regulation, producers of packaging and printed paper are required to (a) submit a stewardship plan detailing how they will finance and manage the recycling of packaging and printed paper to the Ministry by November 19, 2012 and (b) have, and comply with, an approved stewardship plan by May 19, 2014.

Resource: Packaging and Printer Paper New Stewardship Responsiblities in British Columbia Information Brochure (pdf)

Multi Material BC (MMBC)

MMBC is a not-for-profit agency established under the British Columbia Society Act formed in anticipation of the requirement to develop, submit and implement a stewardship plan for packaging and printed paper. MMBC’s intention is to assume the role of a stewardship agency in order to discharge the obligations of PPP producers (brand owners and first sellers) under Schedule 5 of the Recycling Regulation.

The final Phase 1 MMBC Project Reports:

Current System for Managing Residential Packaging and Printed Paper in British Columbia which was updated with information submitted by stakeholders during the consultation period; and
Packaging and Printed Paper Stewardship Program Design Options which was revised for clarity by reordering sections, adding definitions of terminology, expanding the description of some options and adding footnotes summarizing stakeholder comments on the proposed criteria for reasonable access.

For questions about MMBC contact:

Allen Langdon, Multi-Material British Columbia
Telephone: (604) 633-3145
E-mail: alangdon@retailcouncil.org

Other EPR Resources

1. Video: Evolution of Industry-Led Product Stewardship Model in British Columbia

2. RCBC Factsheet: BC EPR Overview (November 2011)

3. B.C. Product Stewardship Programs Summary Table

A comprehensive summary compiled by RCBC of all current and upcoming stewardship programs in British Columbia

Updated: August 2012

4. British Columbia's Recycling Handbook

All twelve of B.C.'s existing stewardship agencies have partnered to produce an informational handbook. British Columbia's Recycling Handbook provides valuable information about all products that fall under the Recycling Regulation. It identifies the stewards, the products, any fees that may apply, what products are recycled into, contact information, and most importantly where to take products to ensure they are recycled responsibly.

A flipbook web version or pdf file can be accessed here.