RMA participated as a project partner on study to provide the rural context for EPR
The Alberta Collaborative Extended Producer Responsibility Study (ACES) outlines a made-in-Alberta vision for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for residential packaging and paper products (PPP) that would bring benefits to Albertans. The study proposes producers distribute packaging and paper products in Alberta to manage both the financial and operational obligations of collecting their products and finding markets to recycle them. The ACES report was funded by the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA), Canadian Stewardship Services Alliance (CSSA), and the cities of Edmonton and Calgary.
RMA was a project partner and was present at all the discussions throughout the development of the study to provide the rural perspective. RMA expressed the importance of developing an EPR program that works for all Albertans. It will be important that an EPR program has a comparable level of service at a comparable cost in urban municipalities and rural municipalities. The service method and service level may be different due to the cost challenges of servicing large and sparsely-populated areas, but an effective EPR model must make recycling available in a way that is reasonably accessible to rural residents.
RMA members have expressed support for an EPR system in Alberta by passing resolution 13-19F at the 2019 Fall Convention and RMA will continue to advocate on an EPR system that works for all Albertans and will update members on our advocacy efforts.
For enquiries, please contact:
Alex Mochid
Policy Advisor
alex@RMAlberta.com
Tasha Blumenthal
Director of External Relations & Advocacy
tasha@RMAlberta.com