The Blue Box was piloted in Kitchener, Ontario, in 1981. Blue Box Waste was designated by a regulation made under the Waste Diversion Act on September 23, 2002. The Minister of the Environment then requested that Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO) develop a waste diversion program for Blue Box Waste. WDO developed a diversion program for Blue Box Waste in co-operation with Stewardship Ontario, an industry funding organization incorporated in Ontario to represent stewards of the products and packages in Blue Box Waste.
WDA Review On October 16, 2008, the ministry released a discussion paper titled Toward a Zero Waste Future – Review of Ontario’s Waste Diversion Act (PDF) The purpose of the paper was to ask for feedback on the legislation, on experiences with waste diversion programs associated with the act, and on a new approach to waste diversion in Ontario.
WDA Review Report The report From Waste to Worth: the Role of Waste Diversion in the Green Economy gives the results of the review and launches a public discussion on the Government of Ontario's proposal for changes to the waste diversion framework. The report reflects many of the key issues raised during consultations. It recommends a path forward for Ontario that would make the province a true leader in waste diversion and support a greener and more prosperous Ontario. This report was posted on the EBR for public review and comment until February 1, 2010.
Background The Waste Diversion Act, 2002 – passed on June 27, 2002 – created Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO), a permanent, non-government corporation, which is run by a Board of Directors comprised of industry, municipal and non-governmental representatives.
The act gave WDO the mandate to develop, implement and operate waste diversion programs – to reduce, reuse or recycle waste. The Ministry of the Environment is responsible for overseeing the act, including WDO activities. The Minister of the Environment can appoint a public service employee and up to five other members to the board of up to 16 members. Waste diversion programs are developed by WDO in accordance with a Minister's request and, once submitted, must be approved by the Minister before they can be implemented.
What is Recycling? Recycling is the reprocessing of materials into new products. Recycling prevents useful material resources from being wasted, reduces the consumption of raw materials and reduces energy usage and therefore, greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling reduces the volume of garbage that we send to disposal.
What is the deposit return program? In February 2007, Ontarians started paying a deposit of 10¢ or 20¢ on alcohol containers bought at the Liquor Store and wineries. They receive a full refund when they return the containers to The Beer Store.
The Bag It Back program is meant to encourage people to return alcohol containers for recycling. Prior to the program, only 68% of these containers were ending up in the Blue Box. Sometimes the glass was broken and colours were mixed making it difficult to recycle.
If everyone participates, we could keep another 80 million bottles out of landfills and turn them into high end products like new glass bottles, glazes for ceramic tiles and insulation. For more information on the Bag it Back Program:
What is composting? Food and plant materials (called ‘organics’) decompose to make compost, an earthy, dark, crumbly substance that adds much needed nutrients to garden soil and lawns. It is a wonderful way to recycle your yard and kitchen wastes.
Organic materials make up as much as one third of the waste we throw out. That’s why it’s so critical to keep them out of the garbage. Many municipalities have ‘green bin’ programs for household organics. Make sure you follow the directions carefully. If your municipality doesn’t have curbside collection of organics, consider buying a backyard composter for your kitchen and yard waste.