The Continuous Improvement Fund (CIF) was a partnership between the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), the City of Toronto, Stewardship Ontario and RPRA (previously Waste Diversion Ontario) under the legacy Blue Box Program.
CIF was created to help Ontario municipalities improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their Blue Box programs by funding research projects and new technology investments and developing training and technical resources. CIF was funded by a portion of the annual fees paid by stewards to municipalities under the legacy program.
CIF ceased operating at the end of 2024 in anticipation of the legacy Blue Box Program terminating on December 31, 2025.
To learn more and see reports produced by CIF, visit the archived Continuous Improvement Fund website.
CIF wind up process
As part of the wind up of the legacy Blue Box Program, in 2019, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks directed RPRA to wind up CIF as soon as practical prior to the wind up of the legacy program on December 31, 2025.
In 2020, CIF and RPRA consulted stakeholders on a proposed CIF Wind Up Plan. RPRA approved the wind up plan on December 22, 2020, with no conditions.
RPRA continued to oversee CIF’s operations and the implementation of the approved plan throughout the wind up period and on December 31, 2024, CIF ceased operations.
On March 31, 2025, CIF submitted a Final Wind Up Report outlining the implementation of the plan. RPRA reviewed the report against the requirements of the approved CIF Wind Up Plan and the Minister’s direction and confirmed that the plan had been fully implemented.
On June 11, 2025, RPRA communicated to the Minister that the CIF Wind Up Plan was fully implemented and CIF had been wound up.
Prior to winding up, in accordance with the approved plan, CIF transferred ownership of its website to RPRA. CIF’s archival website will be maintained by RPRA to ensure ongoing public access to CIF’s research and project work.