New program will step up paint recycling in Ontario

HOT HOME PRODUCTS - Column
TheStar.com | living - Living Section “New in Homes” |

Mar 01, 2008
Vicky Sanderson
SPECIAL TO THE STAR

A new program designed to make it easier for homeowners to either safely dispose of hazardous and special household waste, or divert it from landfill into the recycling stream, is set to launch in Ontario this July 1. That will be welcome news in homes like mine, where we’ve been hanging on to a few dozen cans of paint in the belief that one day paint would be collected and recycled for consumer use in Ontario, as it has been in Quebec, British Columbia and Nova Scotia for several years.

The new plan, announced last week, was developed for Waste Diversion Ontario, a non-Crown agency that oversees programs to divert packaging and paper products, as well as hazardous or special waste, such as electronics, batteries and solvents, from landfill.

The program, known as the Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste Program Plan, was created and will be implemented by, Stewardship Ontario. This is the body responsible for identifying, notifying and assessing industry members whose products end their lives as special or hazardous waste.

While many municipalities already host hazardous waste disposal events or provide drop-off depots, the program will increase the number of collection events and extend hours at existing collection depots. It’s expected to recover 23,000 tonnes of waste materials in its first year, says Barbara McConnell, manager of communications for Stewardship Ontario.

“The most important thing for householders is that there will be more opportunities for them to take these materials to an event day or depot and see them either reused or recycled,” she says.

About 80 per cent – $28 million – of the program will be paid for by manufacturers of designated products. Municipalities will cover the balance.

The first phase of the plan will include household consumer products such as paints and stains, paint thinners, strippers, fertilizers, pesticides, oil filters, lubricating oil containers, anti-freeze, non-rechargeable batteries, engine coolant, and propane tanks.

The next phase will include portable fire extinguishers, fluorescent lights, rechargeable batteries, pharmaceuticals, syringes, thermostats and other measuring devices that contain mercury. (The start date for the second phase has not been determined.) For more information, go to stewardshipontario.ca.Stewardship Ontario also pays companies that recycle or safely dispose of waste, providing incentives for them to expand their services. One such company is Boomerang, a Quebec-based operation that manufactures and sells recycled paint.

“It will make sense for us now to operate collection depots in Ontario,” says Steve Blasiak, who oversees sales for Boomerang in Ontario and points west. “For the consumer, it means you will be able to walk into a store with your used paint and know that it will be reworked and get put back on the shelves,”

Paint collected by Boomerang is separated by type – latex or oil – and by colour. Other materials created by the process, such as glue, paint remover and metal cans, are sorted and recycled. After paint batches are mixed and blended at high speeds, about 1 per cent of new material is added to kill bacteria and adjust the finish.

The Boomerang palette includes 27 colours – much fewer than that of many of the brand name companies that dominate the market. “It’s not for the person who wants to choose between 200 colours,” says Blasiak, “but it’s ideal for anyone who wants a nice colour for any area that requires a good quality, affordable, washable paint.”

In 2007, the company collected more than three million litres of used paint in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. In Quebec, it collects used paints at retailers, including big box chains Home Depot and Rona, both of which Blasiak expects will provide consumer collection points in Ontario once the program officially begins in July.

Boomerang Paints are already available at about 100 retailers across Ontario (for a full list, go to boomerangpaint.com).

Depending on consumer response, Boomerang may also open a manufacturing facility in Ontario. “We’ll see how that goes,” says Blasiak. “It’s certainly part of our five-year business plan.’’
Vicky Sanderson’s Hot Home Products appears every Saturday in New in Homes. Email her at vicky@lovemyplace.com.

0 comments