Mayor Lou Maieron supports initiatives that would create an atmosphere to encourage environmental initiatives at the corporate level.
His comments were based on recent correspondence from the Township of South Frontenac. The idea is to limit manufacturing and packaging to products that can be recycled.
The South Frontenac council suggested the province has the authority to introduce measures to control the sale of products in Ontario, and since the province has also set waste diversion rates for municipalities, the province should also introduce legislation to limit the sale of goods in Ontario to those which are completely recyclable or compostable and packaged in materials that are completely recyclable or compostable.
Further, that council noted South Frontenac has set aggressive waste diversion rates and “success will only be achieved by reducing the amount of product and packaging that is produced that is not completely recyclable.”
Maieron cited the movement towards purchaser buyback and recycling.
“When I read this over, I supported it,” he said. “When you’re getting to the point now, where you’re building a car – you should be able to recycle everything from it. What this is trying to do is urge manufacturers to produce products that can be recycled.
“If you create something that cannot be recycled … that ends up going into landfill.”
However, he also noted the resolution at council was simply to file the South Frontenac correspondence. That resolution was defeated.
Maieron then asked that the resolution be changed to be in support of South Frontenac.
That resolution carried.
“I just think it is trying to do the right thing,” Maieron said.
Councillor Barb Tocher said nothing may come of the motion because many products are not made here, they’re made in China.
“They’re not going to just change their packaging to suit us.”
Maieron contended even imported items have to go through Stewardship Ontario – and if that is in place, then those items cannot enter Ontario.
