BONNYVILLE - The Town of Bonnyville is registering in a new waste management program known as the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system, aiming to shift the onus of recycling from municipal authorities to product producers.
Phase One of the EPR system is expected to start in early April 2025. Producers, including grocery and retail stores, will have to compensate the Alberta Recycling Management Association (ARMA) based on the tonnage of plastics and other materials imported into Alberta. ARMA currently manages electronic waste, used oil, tires, and paint.
The EPR system broadens the scope to include materials such as paper, cardboard, plastic, glass jars, scrap metal, tin cans, and some hazardous products. Agreeing with a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) would shift responsibility from the Town to a non-profit organization.
Producers are required to have non-profit status and comply with ARMA guidelines. However, this transition could offer compensation to the Town for operational expenses.
Coun. Phil Kushnir, expressing support for the program, emphasized the potential benefits, including the prospect of curbside recycling in the future.
“We discussed this at length at the Economic Development Committee level. We didn't really see a downside to this at all, and I think that we should jump on this right away,” said Kushnir.
A motion to register for the EPR program in Phase One received unanimous approval from council.
It was noted that council could "opt-out" if the program doesn't align with expectations. An alternative option discussed was waiting and registering in Phase Two, which begins after 2025. The EPR program is expected to shift Alberta's waste management responsibility significantly.
