Nestle and the Watering Down of EPR

By Kate Harries AWARE Simcoe March 1 2011

There are two good articles in the current digital edition of Solid Waste & Recycling: One is an editorial by Guy Crittenden on how Nestle and Coca-Cola are trying to redefine Extended Producer Responsibility to eliminate container deposit programs. The other is about how the City of Guelph gained support for a compost facility planned for the same location where a previous plant had created problems. 

The key was a consultation process that went beyond legislated requirements to identy issues of importance to the community and address concerns. This involved community meetings, an open house and meetings with interest groups. There are lessons to be learned as Simcoe County moves to implement its Waste Management Strategy. One of the major challenges in getting the citizenry informed and engaged is the size of the County and the diversity of its communities – from rural to seasonal to urban.