At the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry council meeting on September 16, a motion put forward by Derek McMillan, Manager of Transportation Services, passed unanimously to support the Township of North Glengarry’s Resolution 7.
Resolution 7 was originally passed on April 29 by the council of North Glengarry to call upon Ontario Premier, Doug Ford, to amend Ontario Regulation 391/21. Other members of parliament including Andrea Khanjin, Minister of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks; Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry; MPP Nolan Quin; MPP Stéphane Sarrazin; and the SDG municipalities would also receive copies of the resolution.
The regulation outlines significant changes to the collection of recyclable materials within the province and directly impacts SDG, North Glengarry, and other municipalities.
Among these changes, the collection of recyclable materials will no longer be the responsibility of municipalities. In addition, by transitioning to the Extended Producer Responsibility model (EPR), future services would exclude ineligible sources and be solely geared towards residential collection beginning January 1, 2025.
All businesses, including industrial and commercial properties, not-for-profit organizations, municipal buildings and facilities, daycares, places of worship, campgrounds, trailer parks, and commercial farms would no longer be covered by the updated blue box collection regulation. Those included as ineligible sources would therefore be responsible for the collection of recyclable materials through a third party and its associated costs.
Concerns were raised in the SGD council meeting that these changes would discourage individuals from recycling and would result in more recyclable materials ending up in landfills.
The support of Resolution 7 reinforces the SGD council’s priorities of maintaining partnership and collaboration among neighbouring municipalities and their residents.
