Title
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for County Recycling Material Management
Proposed Motion
That Council approve Option 3 (Hybrid) for implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for residential packaging, paper products and single use products (PPP) which includes the following:
1. Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) to manage and fund the existing blue bag program within the hamlet of Wabamun
2. Parkland County to receive funding by becoming a service provider for PRO by continuing to manage the recycling programs the at the recycling centers and solid waste transfer stations.
Body
Administration Recommendation
Administration supports the proposed option 3 (hybrid) to maximize the financial benefit to the County while mitigating the risk of penalties on contaminated recycling collected at the transfer stations and recycling stations.
Purpose
As part of the Provincial Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Program, the PRO (Circular Materials) requires direction by August 1, 2024 on how best to engage with the County for managing recycling materials collected at the County transfer stations, recycling stations and the Wabamun blue bag curbside collection program.
Summary
The Government of Alberta implemented Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation in 2023 through Alberta Environment and Parks. EPR is an environmental policy approach in which producers of products and packaging manage the financial and operational obligations of recycling their materials when they reach end of life.
Establishing EPR will shift the burden of recycling programs from municipalities to industry, creating cost savings for municipalities and municipal taxpayers. Consistent, province-wide recycling will help establish economies of scale and drive a plastic circular economy. Alberta is implementing EPR for residential packaging, paper products and single use products (PPP) which covers the kinds of items currently recycled through the blue bag ...
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