EPRC Report analyzes Canada’s EPR Policies and Programs

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): During a presentation at the Canadian Conference on Stewardship in Montreal, Extended Producer Responsibility Canada (EPRC) released its 2017 report on the progress Canadian federal, provincial and territorial governments have made year-over-year since 2011 in developing and implementing extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies and programs in compliance with the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment’s (CCME) Canada-wide Action Plan on EPR.

After publishing fully-scored report cards in 2012, 2013 and 2015 as well as a summary report in 2014, EPRC has published its fifth report summarizing the state of EPR in Canada as of 2016.

2016 Extended Producer Responsibility Summary Report, September 2017

The 2017 report also contains a summary of the state of EPR in Canada and what we have learned. A longer version is included as an “occasional paper” on the EPRC website.

“The State of EPR in Canada: What have we learned?” September 2017

The EPRC Summary Report notes that EPR policies, legislation and programs have grown in number, scope and scale with more than 120 full and shared responsibility programs in place across Canada.

It also says provincial and territorial governments now need to focus their attention “on improving program effectiveness and efficiency” by developing programs that are “transparent, have appropriate levels of oversight and meet their intended environmental objectives.”

EPRC’s fully scored Report Cards, published in 2012, 2013 and 2015, measured EPR activities in three categories:

1. Commitment — towards CCME’s Canada Wide Action Plan Phase 1 and Phase 2 product and material lists
2. Implementation— focusing on policies and practices to support operations, and
3. Accountability— setting capture and diversion targets and requiring verified public reporting on results

For each Report Card, EPR Canada weighted these categories differently over the seven-year period, encouraging a shift in emphasis from commitment to implementation to accountability.

Courtesy: https://wasteadvantagemag.com