Skip to main content

Amendment to the BC Recycling Regulation

By January 27, 2017News, Regulatory

This is to inform you of a recent amendment to the Recycling Regulation (the Regulation), under the Environmental Management Act, that consolidates the tracking and reporting subcategories for beverage containers.

In December, 2015 the Ministry of Environment published an intentions paper describing three proposed amendments to the Regulation:

  1. Consolidating the tracking and reporting subcategories for beverage containers;
  2. Enabling alternatives to cash only for beverage container deposit-refunds, and
  3. “Housekeeping” amendments.

Feedback on the proposed amendments was solicited until January 29, 2016. For further information please refer to the Intentions Paper and Summary of Public Comments provided below.

Twenty-one subcategories of beverage containers were originally defined for tracking and reporting in schedule 1, section 4 of the Regulation.  The beverage container product subcategories have now been reduced from 21 to 11 based on container material and container size. The subcategories now include:

  1. aluminum cans
  2. refillable glass bottles
  3. non-refillable glass bottles
  4. plastic containers, able to hold 1 litre or less
  5. plastic containers, able to hold more than 1 litre
  6. drinking boxes
  7. bag in a box
  8. bimetal cans
  9. gable top containers
  10. stand up pouches
  11. beverage containers not referred to above

This amendment has the effect of removing overly detailed tracking and reporting requirements for industry and the Ministry of Environment, without impacting the environmental objectives or effectiveness of collection programs. The two remaining proposed amendments to the Regulation are still under review.
This email, and references to the Recycling Regulation, is provided for information only. Users should rely on the official version of the Recycling Regulation as reproduced on the BC Laws website, or obtain a copy from Queens Printer.

Thank you to everyone that participated and provided feedback.

Sincerely,

Bob McDonald
Director, Extended Producer Responsibility
Ministry of Environment

Next Post