The British Columbia Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy has approved with conditions the program plan for PCA’s BC Paint and Household Hazardous Waste Stewardship Program, by letter dated Nov. 20, 2018. The plan remains in effect until July 16, 2022 (the anniversary date of the last approved plan in 2007). PCA is required to submit a new program plan every five years. A copy of the program plan and approval letter has been posted on PCA’s website, www.productcare.org.
The Minister’s approval letter contains a number of conditions, including the following requirements which must be completed by December 31, 2019:
- Complete satisfactory consultation with stakeholders to meet the requirements set out in sections 5(1)(c)(i) and (vi), taking into consideration guidance provided in the Recycling Regulation Guide 2012 and Producers Paying the Cost of Managing Obligated Materials and Dispute Resolution 2018;
- Submit to the director a stakeholder consultation summary document; and
- Propose amendments to the plan that address regulatory requirements and outcomes of the consultations.
These same conditions have been applied by the ministry to PCA’s Lighting Equipment plan and to other (but not all) program plans filed by other EPR programs. Depending on the outcome of the analysis/methodology/consultation, there could be significant impact on the program’s operations costs.
- In addition, PCA revised the approved stewardship plan, following the initial comments received from the Ministry, to include a number of changes and improvements, including:
Maintaining a minimum total of 219 collection sites; - Maintaining a minimum 95% accessibility level for both Paint and PaintPlus (i.e. sites collecting both paint and HHW) collection sites based on the SABC Accessibility Standard;
- Conducting an accessibility study every five years (next one to be completed by end of 2021)
- Participating in all waste composition studies committed to by the SABC and reporting annually on number and location of waste composition studies conducted and the units of program product identified during waste composition studies;
- Achieving annual rates of increase in container capacity volume for all major product categories: paint (4.2%), flammable liquids & solvents (8.75%) and pesticides (7.85%);
- Investigate and report out at the end of year 2 of the program plan how the remaining containers that are not collected through the Program are being managed at end-of-life;
- Maintain a minimum consumer awareness level of 70%;
- Report out annually on targeted outcomes for engaging the commercial sector; and
- Within six months of plan approval, conduct an analysis of residential consumers to identify sub-groups of residential consumers who are primary users and develop a strategy to engage them.