Press and media sources confirmed to Arab Canada that the government of Premier Doug Ford is facing pressure from companies to change Ontario's plan, which sees the industry bearing the full cost of recycling programs in the Blue Box.

Two organizations led by some of the largest major store chains in Canada, retailers, and consumer goods companies want to amend the Blue Box regulations in Ontario, just as the industry faces a sharp increase in expenses during the transition period.

While the two groups of companies insist that the changes they want will not weaken the recycling program in Ontario or slow down the cost transfer to companies, this push is raising alarm bells among municipalities and environmental groups.

Ashley Wallis, Deputy Director of Environmental Defense, said the industry "is trying to shirk its environmental responsibilities."

Wallis said in press statements, "If producers do not pay for this packaging, taxpayers will bear the environmental or human health costs, and that would be a big step backward."

Municipal governments fear that the changes could burden them with higher costs, more waste in landfills, and more garbage in the streets.

Ontario is working to shift the burden of waste costs away from municipalities to the companies that manufacture and sell the products that generate waste.

With this shift – called "Extended Producer Responsibility" – the industry now bears the full costs of recycling or recovering items such as tires, batteries, light bulbs, and electronics.

Under this system, companies pay fees, based on the amount of waste they produce, to companies that run recycling programs, known as Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs).

It is up to companies to decide whether they want to pass these fees on to consumers or absorb them as a cost of doing business. The theory is that fees provide companies with an incentive to reduce their packaging and other waste.

For the materials that fill the Blue Boxes – including beverage containers, paper, plastic, glass, and metals – the shift to the industry paying the full costs only began last year and is scheduled to be completed by 2026.

Currently, companies are witnessing a significant increase in Blue Box fees.