The Waste-Free Ontario Act has been put into effect and OTS has its wind-up letter from the Minister, and the New Resource Productivity & Recovery Authority is now operational.
Glen Murray, Ontario Minister of the Environment and climate change, asked Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) to submit a plan to terminate OTS’s operations by year-end 2018.
Speaking to attendees at the Tire & Rubber Summit which was held at the Kingsbridge Centre in King City June 19 – 20, Glenda Gies, Chair of the new Resource & Productivity Authority of Ontario, touched on the legislative context of the new Act and explained who is accountable for what under each Act as well as outlining the move from the old framework to the new framework.
Industry-funded recycling organizations are being phased out in favor of a government-mandated, producer-responsibility system as directed by the Waste-Free Ontario Act passed June 1.
Under the new Act, the Minister will develop a strategy for a Waste-Free Ontario. The Minister will develop resource recovery/waste reduction policy statements, set resource recovery and waste reduction requirements in regulations which may include performance outcomes and operating standards.
The Resource and Productivity Authority of Ontario will operate a registry and store information related to resource recovery and waste reduction activities. “The Authority will manage the information in the registry according to an Access and Privacy Code and provide information to the Minister upon request. The Authority will also conduct compliance and enforcement activities related to the resource recovery and waste reduction requirements to ensure obligated parties comply with the regulations, performance outcomes and operating standards. This will be done by using graduated compliance tools including inspections, compliance orders, administrative penalties and offense provisions,” explained Gies.
TRAC recently created a new company, eTracks Tire Management Systems, to aid TRACS and OTS members during the transition.
“What this means is the Authority is going to have a lot of power to make sure those who are obligated do what the legislation requires them to do. Whatever the regulation says must be achieved. This is where eTracks comes in,” explained panel speaker Lyle Clarke, Principal, Lyle Clarke & Associates. “eTracks is about helping you meet those obligations.”
eTracks was created by TRACS to serve the needs of all parties obligated by the new legislation. It is a Federally incorporated, not-for-profit organization. eTrack’s immediate priorities include launching a new informational website, observing consultations on OTS wind-up, monitoring ramp-up of the new Regulator and monitor the development of the new Tire Regulation.
[wds id=”549″]
