British Columbia has received an A from EPR Canada – the highest grade ever awarded – affirming its status as the national leader for extended producer responsibility (EPR) recycling programs.

Ministry of Environment staff received the award at a national conference in Banff, Alberta this morning.

EPR programs are one of the most successful methods of waste reduction and put the onus on producers to take full responsibility for the collection and recycling of their products and packaging.

British Columbia’s top mark reflects the progress the Province has made on enforcing producer compliance and requiring a standardized report with third-party audits for stewardship agencies.

British Columbia is the only province to have an independent contractor review third-party audits and then use that information to provide feedback on performance gaps and recommended improvements to stewardship programs.

EPR Canada’s grades are based on the progress made during the 2014 calendar year and are assessed using the following criteria:

• Commitment to the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Canada-wide Action Plan on EPR.
• Implementation of policies and practices to support producer performance.
• Accountability of a government to measure and report on producer performance.

B.C. currently has 22 industry-led recycling programs – more than any other jurisdiction in North America. These programs cover the majority of consumer products, including: packaging, electronics, household batteries, beverage containers, tires and paint.

Quotes:

Mary Polak, Minister of Environment ─

“I am extremely pleased to see B.C.’s strong commitment to creating extended producer responsibility recycling programs recognized with the highest grade ever awarded by EPR Canada. The Province is committed to having industry responsible for the collection and recycling of their products and packaging – and we will continue to build and improve on our successes.

Duncan Bury, co-founder of EPR Canada ─

“EPR Canada is very proud of and congratulates the Province of British Columbia for achieving the top grade in our 2014 EPR Report Card. The steady push B.C. makes to establish extended producer responsibility programs and to meet and in some cases set new standards for best practices in EPR policies and programs deserves our applause.”

Quick Facts:

• EPR helps to influence manufacturers to redesign products so they are less toxic and more durable, reusable, and recyclable - extending product life spans.
• B.C.'s EPR programs divert over 335,000 metric tonnes of material from landfills annually, which includes the collection and recycling of an estimated 185,000 tonnes of packaging and printed paper currently.
• Reduced waste collection and landfilling costs due to EPR programs are substantial with estimated savings of over $85 million annually.
• It is estimated that the EPR materials recovered annually achieves a net GHG reduction of 173,000 tonnes eCO2 (equivalent to taking 38,500 cars off the roads for a year), with energy savings of 2.7 million GJ (equivalent to the energy content of 440,000 barrels of oil).
• To date, the net job creation from these programs is estimated at 2,400 jobs.

Learn More:

BC Newsroom - Ministry of Environment: http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/ministries/environment-1