Resolutions

Therefore be it resolved that the SUMA lobby the provincial government to have refundable environmental deposits placed on all plastic containers, such as but not limited to, chemical and herbicide jugs, pesticide pails, grain storage bags, etc.

Response: The beverage container deposit system has worked very well in Saskatchewan, resulting in over an 85 percent average return rate, the highest in North America. However, administration of deposit-refund systems is costly and could be cumbersome to the public when applied to the wide range of products that it could be applied to. An alternative to a deposit-refund system that the province and Canada is moving more towards is the EPR model, where the costs associated with recycling fees are then captured by a central stewardship organization that administers the recycling of that product. A first step in moving towards the EPR model is the MMRP, which will provide sustainable means for the Saskatchewan public to recycle paper and packaging, including products like newspapers, plastic packaging and bags, cardboard, tin cans and glass containers. At this time the ministry hopes to have a MMRP in place by late 2010. Following the establishment of the MMRP, additional stewardship programs will be sought to fund the recycling of a wide, and hopefully expanding, array of recyclable materials.