WHEREAS the amount of single-use plastics leaking into our lakes, rivers, waterways in Northeastern Ontario is a growing area of public concern;
AND WHEREAS reducing the waste we generate and reincorporating valuable resources from our waste stream into new goods can reduce GHGs significantly;
AND WHEREAS the transition to full producer responsibility for packaging, paper and paper products is a critical to reducing waste, improving recycling and driving better economic and environmental outcomes;
AND WHEREAS the move to a circular economy is a global movement, and that the transition of Blue Box programs would go a long way toward this outcome;
AND WHEREAS the Municipality of East Ferris is supportive of a timely, seamless, and successful transition of Blue Box programs to full financial and operational responsibility by producers of packaging, paper and paper products;
AND WHEREAS the Municipality of East Ferris is concerned about a recent proposal by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks that could jeopardize over 135 small rural, remote, and Northern community Blue Box programs across the Province as well as servicing to schools and public spaces;
AND WHEREAS the Association of Municipalities of Ontario has requested municipal governments with Blue Box programs to provide an indication of the best date to transition our Blue Box program to full producer responsibility;
THEREFORE BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED THAT the Municipality of East Ferris strongly advocates for language to be included in the regulation that ensures municipalities under 5,000 continue to receive Blue Box servicing as was agreed as part of the Provincial government’s Blue Box mediation as well as schools and public spaces;
AND FURTHER that the Municipality of East Ferris forward this resolution to the Honorable Jeff Yurek Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Federation of Northeastern Ontario Municipalities and the Rural Ontario Municipalities Association.