The webinar will begin at
10:05am
www.takebackthelight.ca
www.rco.on.ca
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Protecting the environment for future
generations through Reduction, Reuse and
Recycling
www.rco.on.ca
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Speakers
 Sheila McKnight, Take Back the Light Program Coordinator
 Sarah Mills, Take Back the Light Program Manager
 Jo-Anne St. Godard, Executive Director, Recycling Council of Ontario
Webinar Housekeeping
 Type your questions in the text bar in the “Q&A” section in the top
right corner of your screen. (Participant lines have been muted to
reduce background sounds.)
 We are also happy to answer questions afterwards: 416-657-2797
x.7, [email protected]
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About the RCO
Experience in Development and Operations of Stewardship
Programs
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End-of-Life Lamp Management Regulatory Landscape
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About TBTL – How the program works
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Collective/Group Stewardship Plans
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Individual Stewardship Plans
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RCO’s Role and Value
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Next Steps
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Q&A
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Not-for-profit, non-government, membership-based environmental
organization
Mandate – to inform and educate society about waste generation, waste
reduction guided by the 3Rs hierarchy, more efficient use of resources
and the benefits and/or consequences of these activities
Members represent a variety of stakeholders including municipalities,
manufacturers, brand owners, material processors, industry
associations, businesses, other NGOs, academics, consultants, and
other ‘sister’ provincial organizations
Funding comes from government grants, events, membership, research
funding, and corporate sponsors
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Celebrating over 30 years (incorporated in 1978)
Instrumental in developing Ontario’s Blue Box Program (25
years old – diverts 60% of residential packaging)
United Nations Environmental Award (1989)
Only environmental, not-for-profit organization,
appointed by the Minister to Waste Diversion Ontario,
consulting with the government of Ontario on the
development of Extended Producer Responsibility
programs
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Conduct research and share information
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Support the development of effective waste reduction policies and
programs
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Form partnerships with members and other stakeholders to facilitate
discussion and debate the issues.
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Lead and support the implementation and application of policies
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Operate waste reduction services and programs
Current Programs & Projects
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Take Back the Light (www.takebackthelight.ca)
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Waste Free Lunch Challenge (www.wastefreelunch.com)
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Waste Reduction Week in Canada (www.wrwcanada.com)
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Ontario Waste Minimization Awards (www.rcoawards.ca)
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Waste Diversion Certification Program (www.3rcertified.ca)
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Zero Waste Community Event Toolkit /Certification Program
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Solid Waste Mandate
Active role to support and develop stewardship
policies/programs in Ontario
Facilitate roles and responsibility process in early 1990s, lead to
current Ontario Waste Diversion Act (WDA)
Dedicated seat on current Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO),
program oversight
Involved in every stewardship program under the WDA
Lead and developed one of only two Industry Stewardship Plans
(ISPs) approved under the WDA
Launched innovative, markets-based program for mercurycontaining lamps in 2008, (recognized by MOE in MHSW
designation letter)
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End-of-Life
Lamp
Management
Regulatory
Landscape
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BC, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec are in various drafting,
planning and implementation stages of requiring that
producers create some kind of product stewardship plan for
their lighting products
Environment Canada has also began drafting Extended
Producer Responsibility Regulation affecting mercury
containing lamps
◦ Proposed inclusions:
 Obligated producer defined as a person that manufacturers or imports
the into Canada
 Producers can contract a third party to develop and implement program
on their behalf
 Minimum targets
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Recycling Regulation B.C. Reg. 449/2004
Stewardship program in place since July 1, 2010 for light bulbs and
lamps sold for residential use
Stewardship Plan/s needed for “all electronic or electrical lighting
equipment, parts and bulbs, including lamps, fixtures and
flashlights” by July 1, 2012 (this refers to commercial sector
products)
Obligated producers are defined as manufacturers, the owner or
licensee of a trademark under which a product is sold into BC, or a
person who imports the product.
Producers can choose between setting up an individual program or
have their product/s managed by an agency on a collective basis.
a 75% recovery rate or another recovery rate established by the
director
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Waste Reduction and Prevention (WRAP) Act passed in 1990 - provides
for the designation of products or materials for waste reduction
responsibilities.
“In February 2010, Manitoba introduced the Household Hazardous
Material & Prescribed Material Stewardship Regulation under the WRAP
Act. The regulation identifies fluorescent lighting as a “designated
material.”
Affects residential lamps only
An obligated person is defined the first supplier or importer of a
product into Manitoba
Producers can choose between setting up an individual program or
having their product/s managed in a collective
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Targets – 40% by year 5
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Stewardship plan to manage lamps goes into effect Feb 2012
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December 2006 Minister of Environment designates Municipal Hazardous &
Special Waste (MHSW) subject to the Waste Diversion Act (WDA) – EPR Framework
Fluorescent lamps and tubes are included under this MHSW designation
Materials are designated through a Program Request Letter (PRL) from the
Minister that provides the parameters around which a EPR program should be
created
In this instance the PRL asked for a program targeted at “residential waste and
small quantity waste from IC&I businesses”
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Obligated producers are defined as brand-owners and first importers
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Stewardship Program for lamps launched by July 1, 2010
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Stewardship Ontario – IFO launched a program on July 1, 2010 – cancelled within
the same month by MOE due to Eco Fees (still designated, producer fees ‘on
hold’)
Commercially generated lamps are managed through Take Back the Light, a
voluntary program of the RCO – recognized by the Minister in the PRL
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Environment Quality Act - Regulation respecting the recovery and
reclamation of products by enterprises (not yet in force)
Included products: All mercury containing lamp
Obligated producers are defined as an enterprise that acts as the
first supplier of that product in Québec
Producers can choose between setting up an individual program or
work with an organization approved by Recyc-Québec to manage
one on a collective basis.
Financial application of penalties when targets are not met
Once regulation is in force obligated stewards have one year to
implement its recovery and reclamation program
Minimum recovery rate by 2015 for CFLs will be 30% and 40% for
all other mercury containing lamps
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Industry Funding Organizations are established either voluntarily and or
mandated
Basket of Good approach – Broad range of products are managed in a ‘one
size fits all’ approach
Funding – fees are set and charged on the sales of new lamps sold into the
market place
Fees are assessed on an estimated future cost of management against
stated targets
Stewards pays up front for future costs based on an estimated management
costs which are extrapolated over sales into the market
Operational control and associated costs are beyond Producer influence –
‘one size fits all’
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Fees are set by product and are universal, stewards pay per unit sold
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Programs are their own ‘creature’ and have their own brands.
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Overhead, administrative, promotion and education functions are charged
‘on top of’ costs of management and recycling.
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www.takebackthelight.ca
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Built on the principals of green procurement, utilizing
existing commercial relationships.
The program is targeted to both sellers (distributors &
manufacturers) and buyers of lamps
Buyers (waste generators) require sellers to be
registered with Take Back the Light, meaning they
require their supplier to take spent product back and
have it recycled.
Sellers offer their customers value-added collection and
recycling services
Buyers and sellers are connected through the interactive
website www.takebackthelight.ca
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In May 2011 the “RCO – Take Back the Light – Program
requirements for mercury containing lamps recycling processors”
was finalized
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Processors must pass the standard to service TBTL
RCO contracted the Bureau du Normalisation de Quebec (BNQ) to
work with us to complete the standard. BNQ was selected for
their experience creating standards for services
RCO worked closely with Environment Canada to create the
Terms of Reference for the standard and consulted with more
than 20 targeted stakeholders including lamp processors, federal
and provincial environmental regulators, provincial industrial
hygiene specialists, program participants and waste reduction
professionals
The standard is outcomes focused on environmental protection,
occupational health & safety and high levels of material
diversion.
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Efficient and effective – 3 million plus lamps recycled to date
with voluntary program and 1 ½ staff
Utilizes existing systems and infrastructure
Lamp recycling costs are directly tied to the new product
(Internalization)
Leverages natural competitive tensions
Strict Standards - Confidence that lamps are being recycled
properly and all associated data is being verified
Partnering with an established, credible organization
Program tools (tracking and reporting database) and
foundation already created
Ongoing support with information and quarterly newsletter
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Collective
Stewardship
Plans
&
Individual
Stewardship
Plans
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In collective or group plans, obligated producers (or
Stewards) typically join together and contract an agency (also
known as an Industry Funding Organization (IFO)) to develop
and operate a stewardship plan on their behalf
Basket of goods approach – variety of products pay into one
program for ‘bulk’ servicing of end-of-life management costs
like collection, program promotion, transportation, program
operation, recycling and/or disposal
Producers pay into this group to pay for these program
common costs and the agency administrative fee
Fee based on ALL sales into the marketplace
Program has brand and all products are managed under that
brand
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Regulation affords the producers the option to join
an IFO or manage their obligation independently
(or with other partners in their category)
The plan is specifically targeted to the stewards
products that have been identified by the
regulation
Steward manage their own end-of-life product
costs like collection, transportation, promotion,
program operation, recycling/disposal
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Cost is based on what is recovered and recycled versus units
sold into the marketplace – full control on financing
Manage only your share
Design a program/plan that considers and leverages your
current business model/realities
Control all your costs
Control the design of all program elements maximizing
operational efficiencies, potentially reducing costs
Provide a value-added service to consumers and clients that is
attached to your brand
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Control performance - own and manage all data related to the
program – have ‘real time’ feedback
Leverage branding and marketing opportunities that trumpets
your stewardship activities directly to customers/public
Remain nimble – controlling the program means you can proact or react as needed the plan can be designed to suit the
requirements of one province or several
Reduce and reuse becomes a viable option (where appropriate)
Program promotion and education tailored to stewards specific
target market
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Stewards enter into a written agreement with RCO to become
“party” to the ISP
RCO indicates to the regulatory body that an ISP for lamps is
forthcoming (intent to submit)
Manage Stakeholder Notification and Consultation (as
required)
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Submission of a draft plan regulator for early comment
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Resubmission if necessary
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Approval
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Scheduled reporting
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Name of ISP proponent and verification of steward
participation
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ISP Proof of incorporation
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Scope - The designated material(s) which the ISP will manage.
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Target setting and reporting protocols
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Standards of Care
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A description of the waste diversion program, including
collection system, transportation, consolidation and
processing system
Note: ISPs will not have to provide detailed budgets but will
have to provide methodologies behind the targets
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A list of key program participants
A summary of the ISP proponent’s financial and
human resources available to implement the ISP
and details of any services to be sub-contracted to
third party service providers.
The program targets for the first five years of the
ISP implementation period and the methods that
will be used to measure whether the targets are
met.
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Quantify the Return on Investment of the ISP model
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Support the development and approval of the ISP
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Liaise with Regulator
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Operate the program – collect and report data –
infrastructure already in place
Audit service providers to the program’s standards
Report performance to participants and to
regulators on their behalf.
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Establish a list of the obligated brand owners
and/or first importers interested in the ISP model
RCO estimates collective and/or individual costs
based on who will participate
Confirmation of participation based on an initial
MOU
Notify the regulator of the intent
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Jo-Anne St. Godard
Executive Director, RCO
416 657 2797 ext. 3
[email protected]
Sarah Mills
Program Manager, TBTL
416 657 2797 ext. 7
[email protected]
Sheila McKnight
Program Coordinator, TBTL
416 657 2797 ext. 6
[email protected]
www.rco.on.ca
www.takebackthelight.ca
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