We are proud to announce another excellent result for our municipal Blue Box clients. On June 17th meeting, the Waste Diversion Ontario Board determined the 2015 Blue Box Steward Obligation using the methodology set out in our 2014 arbitration win, the decision of The Honourable Robert P. Armstrong, Q.C.
As a result, municipal Blue Box programs will receive 50% of their verified costs again for 2015, just as required by section 25(5) of the Ontario Waste Diversion Act, 2002. This means a total 2015 Steward Obligation of $114,600,548 to be paid by Stewardship Ontario through quarterly instalments commencing on June 30, 2015. Of this:
- $2,000,000 is to be directed to the Continuous Improvement Fund;
- $6,945,011 is the "in-kind" contribution, i.e. is provided in so-called "free advertising", an arrangement that the arbitrator described as "extremely unfair" to municipalities; and
- $105,655,537 is to be paid out in cash to Ontario municipal Blue Box programs.
Within the next week, WDO will place on the WDO website the amount owing to each municipality.
In addition, WDO will establish a Panel to submit recommendations to WDO on a methodology to apply cost containment principles to the determination of the annual Blue Box steward obligation, and to submit recommendations regarding the in-kind program, to address the concerns raised by the arbitrator.
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