In Ontario, industry must pay for 50% of the net system cost incurred by the municipalities. The organization that represents industry in this province is Stewardship Ontario (the same organization also handles producers’ obligation for certain hazardous and special waste, such as paint and batteries).

Stewardship Ontario collects fees from ‘stewards’ – the first importers, manufacturers, or brand owners of the packaging or products that end up in curbside blue boxes and recycling carts or that are classified as household hazardous or special waste. These fees help to pay for the costs of collecting, transporting, recycling and safely disposing of waste across the province.

Through Stewardship Ontario, industry stewards for packaging and printed paper provide the province’s municipalities with substantial revenue to offset the costs of their recycling programs.