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O-I Canada critical of Ontario glass fact sheet

In the continuing dispute about recycling policy in the Canadian province of Ontario, O-I Canada has criticised the fact sheet and letter sent to municipalities on glass recycling rates in the provinc…

In the continuing dispute about recycling policy in the Canadian province of Ontario, O-I Canada has criticised the fact sheet and letter sent to municipalities on glass recycling rates in the province by Stewardship Ontario, the body responsible for managing the “blue box” curbside recycling system. “Key Facts on Glass Recycling in Ontario” (“Key Facts”) was published by Stewardship Ontario on 27 February 2006. This document was a response to a letter sent by O-I Canada on 31 January to the “Blue Box Funding Review Committee.” In its new letter, O-I Canada say that “[w]hile “Key Facts“ acknowledges that actual glass recycling rates in Ontario are low, it also makes additional assertions which are either factually incorrect or construes facts in such a way as to be misleading. Glass recovery and recycling is not the same thing – Stewardship Ontario acknowledges that glass recycling rates in Ontario are exceedingly low”. “Specifically, Key Facts acknowledges that of the 198,000 tonnes of glass bottles and jars introduced into the Ontario marketplace in 2004 only 27,100 tonnes was recycled “bottle-to-bottle“. Though not reported by Stewardship Ontario, we have been able to determine that in 2004 approximately 32,660 tonnes of curbside collected glass was used in fiberglass manufacture. These tonnages yield a bottle-to-bottle recycling rate of 13.7% and an abysmally low combined recycling rate of 30%”. “Nowhere does “Key Facts“ refute the fact that the remaining 70% of glass remains un-recovered, is recovered and is subsequently sent to landfill as residue or is “down-cycled” as aggregate replacement, landfill cover or other low-end uses”. “To be clear, recovering glass and actually recycling it once it is recovered are two entirely different things – 70% of the glass available in Ontario is not recycled”.

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