The Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) has approved Stewardship Ontario’s Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste (MHSW) program Wind Up Plan.
RPRA’s approval comes with the following conditions:
Changes to Deadlines for Steward Adjustments
- New deadlines have been established for stewards to submit adjustments to prior reports. These deadlines were revised to align adjustment request deadlines with RPRA’s data submission requirements.
- Batteries: Final adjustment requests for single-use batteries for data related to 2019 and earlier have been revised to February 14, 2020 from May 31, 2020.
- Paint, Automotive Materials, Pressurized Containers, Pesticides & Fertilizers: Final adjustment requests for all other MHSW materials for data related to 2020 and earlier have been revised to February 12, 2021 from May 31, 2021.
- Please note: these revised dates are now reflected in the published MHSW Wind Up Plan.
New Ministerial Direction on Residual Funds
- New Ministerial direction received on December 20, 2019 directs Stewardship Ontario to develop an addendum to the approved MHSW Wind Up Plan to return residual funds to stewards once the program is in its final wind up phase in 2022.
- Stewardship Ontario is developing a draft proposal for the use of residual funds for consultation with stewards.
- RPRA will be hosting a consultation webinar on Stewardship Ontario’s proposal for residual funds on January 22, 2020. Click here to register.
- Once the consultations are complete, the Stewardship Ontario Board of Directors will review the proposal before it is sent to RPRA for assessment and approval no later than February 29, 2020.
Other Conditions
- If required by RPRA, Stewardship Ontario will update the plan to address operational and implementation issues.
- Stewardship Ontario will provide any information that is required to assist RPRA in performing its duties under the Waste Diversion Transition Act, 2016.
The approved MHSW Wind Up Plan also includes some clarifying amendments to reflect additional conflict of interest provisions and a new management structure implemented at Stewardship Ontario following submission of the plan in September.
MHSW Rules for Stewards
With the approval of the Wind Up Plan also comes the approval of the Rules for Stewards (Appendix A of the plan). The Rules outline steward reporting and payment obligations for the period commencing January 1, 2020 until wind up of the MHSW Program.
Next Steps
Stewardship Ontario will now implement the approved MHSW Wind Up Plan, with the program for single-use batteries terminating on June 30, 2020, and all other MHSW material programs terminating on June 30, 2021.
In addition, Stewardship Ontario will be implementing the fee reduction process for battery stewards for upcoming invoices. Further information on this process, including the timing of a related information webinar, will be provided to battery stewards shortly.
During the transition period, Stewardship Ontario will continue to operate the MHSW Program without disruption. Any questions around wind up operations can be sent to mhswwindup@stewardshipontario.ca.
Information about the new program that will replace the current MHSW program will be posted on RPRA’s website as it becomes available. Questions can be sent to RPRA at info@rpra.ca.
Stewardship Ontario would like to thank all stakeholders who participated in the development of the MHSW Wind Up Plan.