What You Need To Know
The Government of Alberta (GoA) is developing:
1. A regulatory framework for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
2. An approach to EPR for:
residential packaging and paper products and single-use plastics (PPP-SUP); and
household and special products (HSP).
EPR is a policy approach where producers of products and packaging are responsible for managing their materials at the end of their lifecycle. Beverage containers are NOT a material identified to move to EPR in Alberta. However, a regulatory framework for EPR makes it a possibility for the future.
Do Depots Support EPR for Beverage Containers?
The ABDA supports EPR for materials that are less likely to be recycled and are a burden on municipalities, including PPP-SUP and HSP.
We do NOT support EPR for beverage containers. Alberta’s unique and existing policy approach for beverage containers environmentally significantly outperforms jurisdictions with EPR and provides many economic and social benefits for Albertans. Additionally, the current system identifies Depots as the sole collectors of beverage containers, and includes policies for fair negotiations and business practices between manufacturers and Depots.
It is in the best interest of Albertans and Depots for the current beverage container management system to continue indefinitely.
What Happens IF Alberta Were to Move Beverage Containers to EPR?
The best-case scenario IF Alberta were to move beverage containers to EPR is the GoA safeguards the key elements of Alberta’s beverage container management system in regulation. These elements include the:
• Deposit Return System (DRS);
• requirement for Depots to be the sole collectors of beverage containers;
• requirement for manufacturers to pay Depots for beverage containers; and
• policies that support fair negotiations and business practices between manufacturers and Depots.
The worst-case scenario is Alberta adopts EPR without these safeguards and moves beverage containers to EPR. This is the worst case because:
• Depots will lose their standing as the sole collectors of containers; and
• manufacturers will have full authority to decide how containers are collected in Alberta.
A future government might consider moving beverage containers to EPR if:
• it doesn’t recognize the overwhelming success of Alberta’s current system;
• it believes it is beneficial to have a consistent approach to all Alberta’s recycling systems; and
• manufacturers suggest that they will be able to improve the recycling system and collect more containers.
Alberta’s unique and world-class beverage container management system significantly outperforms jurisdictions with EPR for beverage containers, including British Columbia (BC). It is important that MLAs know as much as possible about Alberta’s success and Depots’ role in it. Your MLA needs to hear from you as soon as possible!
Click the button below for a comprehensive FAQ on EPR’s potential impact on our Depots and how you can help.
Why Might the GoA Move to EPR
for Beverage Containers in the Future?