"It's a well-intentioned effort, but they're missing the boat."

That's how Kenton Lobe, President of Resource Conservation Manitoba, describes the series of new waste programs being developed by the Province of Manitoba.

The non-profit environmental group is pleased that the Government recognizes the need to do something about the growing waste problem in this province. According to a February 2007 Statistics Canada report, Manitoba has fallen behind other provinces when it comes to diverting waste from landfill. And the amount of waste we are throwing out is on the rise.

In a bid to improve waste management, the Provincial Government is revising two existing waste programs - tires and packaging/printed paper - and plans to introduce two new programs - household hazardous waste and electronic waste.

The Province's new approach envisions a greater role for industry in managing the wastes that are generated from the products they produce. Companies are to become "stewards" of their post-consumer waste. RCM says that's a good idea in principle, and commends the Province for incorporating elements of stewardship in regulations for the revised/new programs.

"Properly designed and implemented, stewardship programs put responsibility for waste in the hands of those best able to reduce or eliminate it - the producer and the consumer," explained Dr. John Sinclair, member of RCM's Board of Directors. "When that responsibility is appropriately shared, the result can be less waste, more durable goods, lower energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions at the production end, reduced dependency on primary materials, increased recycling rates, and the creation of new businesses and job opportunities."

But RCM sees a number of major flaws with the new regulations, leading the group to doubt whether the above benefits will be fully realized.

To strengthen stewardship in Manitoba, RCM is calling for the Province to:

* Place greater emphasis on reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.

* Require stewardship plans to address waste from both the household and the industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) sectors.

* Set high performance standards for stewardship programs, as well as mechanisms for monitoring performance and enforceable penalties for failure to meet standards.

* Ensure that current curbside collection programs are maintained and new stewardship collection programs will be easily accessible to all Manitobans.

* Prohibit stewards from passing program costs directly on to consumers through eco-fees.

* Make manufacturers directly responsible for the waste created by the products they sell. This ensures there is a financial incentive for them to reduce those costs by designing products that are more durable and more easily recyclable, or in the case of packaging, to simply make less of it.

* Establish and enforce guidelines for meaningful public consultation in the development of stewardship program plans.

* Ensure public representation on the boards of stewardship organizations.

* Ensure the continuation of comprehensive environmental education programs provided for under existing recycling programs.

Says RCM President Lobe, "Manitoba used to be a leader in Canada when it came to waste reduction. We are glad to see the Province taking steps to place more responsibility on industry, but are concerned the new regulations have not gone far enough. The government is missing a strategic opportunity to help Manitoba regain its lead in waste reduction."

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BACKGROUNDER

* Waste diversion means waste reduction, reuse and recycling.

* According to Statistics Canada, Manitoba generates more waste per capita than the Canadian average. Only 20 per cent of this waste is diverted from landfill.

* 48.6 per cent of Manitoba waste is generated by households, and 51.4 per cent is produced by non-residential sources.

* Manitoba is ranked 7th in the nation in waste diversion.

* Top-ranked provinces (British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) have diversion rates of over 30-percent.

* Under the new Manitoba regulations, the first seller or importer of a designated product is named a steward.

* Stewards are responsible for developing a plan to collect and divert their products from landfill. Stewards are permitted to develop individual plans or may join together to develop a collective plan for managing their obligations.

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Resource Conservation Manitoba
April 2007