The three Rs — reduce, reuse and recycle — could also be applied to the concept of recycling programs themselves, according to Bradford’s green initiatives committee.
Based on a June 26 recommendation from the committee, council approved a motion during this week's regular meeting calling on the provincial government to expand the Ontario Deposit Return Program (ODRP) to non-alcoholic beverage containers as a way of promoting recycling, reducing litter, and encouraging sustainable practices.
Ward 2 Coun. Jonathan Scott chairs the committee and explained the system would likely mimic the ODRP which has been operated by the Beer Store since 2007 in parallel to the retailer’s own program which they claim to have been running since 1927.
In that system, customers pay a deposit of between $0.10-0.20 on each container, which is repaid once the containers are returned.
“I think you could do something very similar with our major grocery chains, and goodness knows our grocery chains are making killer profits right now,” Scott said in an interview with BradfordToday.
According to a 2022 report from Reloop, an organization focused on informing policies about recycling, 11 of Canada’s provinces and territories have some form of deposit return system with an average return rate of about 74 per cent.
Canadian environmental advocacy organization, Environmental Defence, reports the Beer Store’s system collects nearly 80 per cent of containers and packaging, compared to the provincial blue bin system which they report collects just 43 per cent of non-alcoholic beverage containers.
Not only could expanding that system help keep recyclables out of landfills, but Scott suspects it could also help maintain local jobs in the face of automation.
“If I were a billionaire grocer I wouldn’t want to incur the costs if I was only motivated by greed, but if I was motivated by employing people and protecting the environment there’s pretty obvious benefits,” he said.
While Scott acknowledged that the current cost of groceries is having an impact on consumers, he doesn’t expect the cost to setup or operate the program would have any significant impact on the price of consumer goods.
“I’ve talked to environmentalists about having Doug Ford environmental policies, and I think recycling plastic bottles or having recycling for small business is entirely up the premier’s alley if he looks at it the right way and listens to the people rather than billionaire grocers,” he said.
At the time of the committee’s recommendation the province was still considering the option of implementing such a system, but in mid-July they ruled out the idea, according to reporting from CBC.
Still, Scott feels there’s room for the province to change course if there’s enough blow back.
“I don’t mean to be cheeky, but Doug Ford has a habit of changing his mind in response to public pressure,” he said.
Abacus Data polled 1,500 adult Ontarians in March on behalf of Environmental Defence and found 81 per cent want a deposit-return system for non-alcoholic beverage containers.
According to Scott, the committee’s recommendation was originally inspired by local resident Albert Wierenga, who regularly takes walks around town and helps clean up trash and litter.
Even those responsible enough not to litter might not be disposing of containers properly, as Environmental Defence estimates that 1.7 billion plastic beverage containers end up in Ontario's landfills or incinerators every year.
Bradford’s previous council made a similar request of the province in 2019, and the most recent motion includes that Mayor James Leduc send a letter based on the motion to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks; the Minister of Finance; York—Simcoe’s MPP; Opposition environment critics; and Ontario’s municipal councils and conservation authorities.
— With files from Natasha Philpott
