June 4, 2024

Written by Abdul Matin Sarfraz for the National Observer

“A deposit would dramatically reduce the amount of single-use beverage container litter on the ground and in litter bins,” said Emily Alfred, waste campaigner at Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA), one such environmental advocacy group that is pushing the province to introduce a deposit system. “This can help the informal economy and people who collect those containers, but we also know that deposit systems create more jobs in general than disposal.”

Alfred told Canada's National Observer that municipalities in Ontario don't have deposit-return regulations, as it falls outside their jurisdiction. Requiring a deposit on containers needs to be a provincial policy, she added.

“It really doesn't make sense. Not only do we see higher return rates and cleaner recycling in other provinces, but we have the perfect example here in Ontario, where alcohol containers have recycling rates double that of containers collected in blue boxes,” said Alfred. “A good system needs to be accessible and easy to use, ideally at bigger retail locations.”

Full article here:

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2024/06/04/news/Ontario-deposit-recycling-waste-diversion