Electronic Waste Regulation In Canada And Extended Producer Responsibility

Copyright 2012, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Originally published in Blakes Bulletin on Environmental Law, January 2012

Over the past decade, Canadian governments –particularly provincial governments – have developed a growing number of waste diversion or recycling regulatory programs based upon the concept that the producers of products sold in Canada should assume some of the responsibility for managing the packaging and other waste materials generated as a result of their consumption. This approach is known as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and has been championed by the Organization for Economic and Cooperative Development (OECD) for many years. Canada has turned out to be one of the more enthusiastic jurisdictions to embrace EPR, which has been applied to various forms of consumer goods and packaging such as food and beverage containers, newsprint, cardboard, plastic wrappings and containers, and electronic goods.