Council confirms preferred date of January 1, 2023 for transition to Producer Responsibility

At today’s meeting of Northumberland County Council, Council adopted the recommendation put forward by staff for a preferred date of January 1, 2023 to transition the local recycling system to Producer Responsibility.

The Province announced plans in August 2019 to transition responsibility for the provincial recycling system from municipalities and First Nations over to producers of packaging and paper products. This transition will begin in 2023, and by the end of 2025 producers will be fully responsible for providing recycling services province-wide.

As part of the recommendation adopted today by Council, a January 2023 transition of the Northumberland recycling program would include the winding down of the County’s operation of the Material Recovery Facility by the end of 2022.

In addition, Council agreed that the County should seek to administer collection of recycling on behalf of producers, post-transition. As the County will continue to provide collection of waste, green bin and leaf & yard waste following the launch of Producer Responsibility, Council agreed there is likely to be cost-savings for both the County and producers in the County administering one large contract for all local waste and recycling collection. 

“Council has determined that a transition to Producer Responsibility early in the process would achieve the greatest overall benefit for our community,” states Warden Bob Sanderson. “By expressing a preference for a January 2023 transition, we aim to position the Material Recovery Facility for possible purchase and continued operation by the private sector, ideally sustaining local employment opportunities. In addition, this move would maximize the potential for savings, with a $2.97 million annual impact to the County levy once transition occurs. While we have expressed this preference on timing and future partnerships, we recognize that final decisions ultimately rest with the Province and producers. We look forward to collaboration to confirm timelines and support a seamless transition of recycling services for our community.”

Get further details about the Province’s plans for transition of the recycling system to Producer Responsibility.