In February 2017, the then Minister of the Environment and Climate Change directed the wind up of the Used Tires Program on December 31, 2018 and Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) soon after in 2019. The Used Tires Program was the first waste diversion program to be wound up under the Waste Diversion Transition Act, 2016.
The Used Tires Program was operated by OTS to keep passenger and light truck, medium truck, and off-the-road tires out of landfills so that they could be reused and recycled. Tire stewards (i.e. producers) paid a fee to OTS for every tire they supplied into the Ontario market and OTS arranged with collectors, haulers, and processors for the collection and management of used tires.
Tires are the first material designated under Ontario’s individual producer responsibility (IPR) requirements. On January 1, 2019, tire producers became directly responsible and accountable for meeting mandatory and enforceable targets for collecting and recycling used tires. Tire producers, producer responsibility organizations (PROs), and service providers (collectors, haulers, retreaders and processors) are now regulated by the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority. Learn more about IPR.
Wind up process
As directed by the Minister, OTS submitted a wind-up plan to the Authority on November 30, 2017. The Authority consulted on the wind-up plan between December 2017 and March 2018 and approved the wind-up plan with conditions in April 2018. Documents related to the wind up can be found on the right-hand side of this page.
Although the Used Tires Program ended on December 31, 2018, OTS continued to operate as a corporation for several months to finalize legal, financial and operational obligations.
On March 16, 2020, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice appointed Grant Thornton Limited liquidator of OTS. As liquidator, Grant Thornton will act as OTS’ agent and be responsible for implementing the remaining provisions of the approved OTS Wind-Up Plan. The liquidator’s activities can be monitored on its case website.
On April 21, 2020, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks issued a direction letter to OTS requiring surplus funds of the Used Tires Program be returned to stewards. OTS was directed to amend its approved Used Tires Program Wind-Up Plan to address the Minister’s direction on surplus funds and submit it to the Authority for approval. This direction revised the requirements in the direction issued on April 2, 2019 in regard to how the surplus and residual funds from the Used Tires Program must be managed but did not change any other requirements in the previous direction letters issued to OTS.
The liquidator submitted the proposed addendum to the Authority on January 12, 2021. The Authority consulted on the addendum from January 29 to February 26, 2021. On March 26, 2021, the Authority approved the addendum. Learn more about the consultation process.
Following fulfillment of the approved Wind-Up Plan, including any amended plans, the liquidator will take the necessary steps to dissolve OTS as a corporate entity.
For complete information on the wind up of OTS, view the Wind-Up Plan.
Revised deadlines for tires eligible for OTS incentives
To ensure the flow of used tires during the wind up of the Used Tires Program and the transition to the new regulatory framework beginning in 2019, the Authority changed the deadlines in the Wind-Up Plan for collectors, haulers and processors to be eligible for incentives. Learn more.