As 2013 draws to a hectic close, Call2Recycle Canada continues to progress its Industry Stewardship Plan (ISP) with Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO). Call2Recycle has been collecting batteries in the province since 1997 but is now seeking the opportunity to become the official stewardship program for all consumer batteries in the province.
Feedback already collected from environmentally-conscious Canadians across the country, including Ontario, confirms that convenience is one of the most important factors. The more recycling a consumer can do at once in the same location, the more effective the program is likely to be. In short, consumers prefer one drop-off location for both rechargeable and single-use batteries. Retailers and municipalities express the same preference because it lessens their administrative workload, makes reimbursements easier, and enables better service to both customers and constituents. Currently in Ontario, consumers using the official battery recycling service provider must make a second trip elsewhere in the province to dispose of rechargeable batteries.
Joe Zenobio, Canada executive director, and Carl Smith, chief executive officer, both attended WDO-organised, public consultation webinars on Thursday, October 24th and on Monday, November 4th to discuss Call2Recycle’s proposal. Both were challenged with some tough and technical questions from municipalities, stewards, and other interested parties around the province. However, all questions were answered in the same transparent manner with which Call2Recycle conducts its business across the North American continent.
In addition, Call2Recycle has already announced that an Advisory Committee will be assembled for Ontario if the ISP is approved. This is to ensure that the selection process for service providers to join the industry stewardship plan is fair and thorough.
“Our ISP is about doing what is best for Canadians, and best for the environment,” explains Zenobio. “We believe our all-battery approach would improve collections in Ontario by making it easier for the public to recycle under the same, national brand as other provinces. In turn, this will increase the overall market size, benefitting not only the service providers we work with but also anyone relying on the recycling industry for employment.”
The decision on Call2Recycle’s ISP by WDO has been postponed to January 2014.
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