Between January and November 2024, Mexico provided 18% of the 1.285 million metric tons of bottle-grade and film-grade PET resin, while Canadian volumes accounted for 7%, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. | November Studio/Shutterstock
U.S. President Donald Trump implemented 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, effective Feb. 4, then delayed them, creating a rapidly changing trade landscape that furthered uncertainty in the recycling and plastics industries. Continue Reading
The Stewardship Agencies of BC is a coalition of extended producer responsibility organizations, including Call2Recycle Canada, Return-It, the Electronic Products Recycling Association, Recycle BC and others. | MAXSHOT.PL/Shutterstock
The Stewardship Agencies of British Columbia worked together to divert a record 425 million kilograms of end-of-life products from landfills in 2023, and leaders pointed to factors including the efficiency and education that collaboration brings. Continue Reading
The June 14 webinar “EPR in British Columbia: A Timeline of Success and Challenge Past, Present, Future” brought together nine speakers with long experience in extended producer responsibility in the province. | Vipada Kanajod/Shutterstock
How did a law intended to stop can-tabs litter in British Columbia lead to today’s expansive extended producer responsibility laws? Those involved in its evolution traced the path in a webinar hosted by the Coast Waste Management Association. Continue Reading
Machinex provided a co-collection organic material recovery system to Quebec City, Canada. | Courtesy of Machinex
Residents of Quebec City, Canada, are now served by the first commingled recyclables and organics collection system in North America, the system developer recently announced. Continue Reading
The week of negotiations had moments of both hope and frustration for delegates, who are racing against the clock to create a final treaty. | Photo courtesy of IISD/ENB Kiara Worth
The fourth meeting to draft a global plastic pollution treaty ended just after 3 a.m. on April 30 with general agreement on the need for global rules and mandates on product design, composition, performance and extended producer responsibility.
Statistics Canada released a detailed breakdown of the material diverted from landfill in 2022 and if it was generated by residential or non-residential sources. | Siwakorn1933/Shutterstock
A recent analysis from the Canadian government found that, in 2022, Canadian households and businesses diverted 9.9 million metric tons of material, the same as in 2020. Of that amount, about 3.6 million tons were paper fibers. Continue Reading
Topics at a recent discussion of EPR programs included collection, efficiency and harmony across jurisdictions. | mi_viri/Shutterstock
Producer responsibility organizations can help drive efficiency and harmonization in extended producer responsibility programs, stakeholders suggested at a recent conference. Continue Reading
Speakers from across Canada faced a variety of EPR-related challenges, but all agreed on one thing: Good EPR implementation requires strict cost management. | Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock
Representatives from five small Canadian municipalities shared the challenges and benefits of extended producer responsibility, advising anyone in a similar situation to be very familiar with costs and contamination. Continue Reading
Experts from Italy and Canada offered advice on effective EPR, drawing from their experience with PROs in those countries. | Ole Photo/Shutterstock
When building a producer responsibility organization, fees should be transparent, the industry should be in control and the system needs to be fair. That’s what participants in a recent webinar said, noting there are different ways to achieve those ends. Continue Reading
By mid-2024, Ottawa, Canada grocers hope to have a reusable packaging system going for customers. | Deemerwha Studio/Shutterstock
Major grocery retailers and other foodservice businesses in Ottawa, Ontario will start selling foods in reusable, returnable containers later this year through a first-of-its-kind pilot program to help reduce single-use plastic packaging, according to a press release from the pilot’s organizers. Continue Reading