Authority sets 2021 Blue Box Steward Funding Obligation

The Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority has set the 2021 Blue Box Steward Funding Obligation at $152.1 million.

The steward funding obligation is the total amount that stewards must pay to municipalities, First Nation communities and recycling associations for operating the Blue Box Program. The 2021 steward funding obligation was set using information obtained from the 2019 Datacall, which surveys municipalities, First Nation communities and recycling associations on costs and amount of materials collected through the Blue Box Program. In setting the 2021 steward funding obligation, the Authority applied the same methodology used to set the Final 2020 Blue Box Steward Funding Obligation.

The application of the methodology for “non-obligated” materials resulted in no deduction for the 2021 steward funding obligation. In 2019, pots and pans were no longer commonly solicited in the Blue Box Program and treated as contamination. No other ineligible costs for “non-obligated” materials were identified for 2019.

The 2021 Municipal Funding Allocation Methodology (MFAM) will be posted in December following the Authority’s decision on Stewardship Ontario’s proposed Blue Box Program Wind-Up Plan. The proposed plan includes a change in the steward fee-setting methodology, which would impact the amount paid out to municipalities, First Nation communities and recycling associations. The Authority will be assessing the proposed change to the steward fee-setting methodology as part of its review and approval of the proposed wind-up plan.