Ford government walks back yet another environmental policy

It looks like the Ford government is reneging on yet another environmental commitment. 

Back in 2021, it took the rather unexpected and enlightened step of introducing the concept of "extended producer responsibility" into OntarioXs waste management and recycling system. Now, it seems they have thought better of that and decided to do away with it completely, and let food packagers off the hook for the estimated 80,000 tonnes of flexible packaging - bags, wraps, films and pouches - they force on us every year.

It us proposing to amend the Blue Box (recycling) regulations again to remove any responsibility from packagers and food producers for managing the excess wasteful packaging it uses, thereby also removing any impetus to reduce packaging, some of which goes into recycling, but much of which ends up in our landfills.

It was never quite clear to me how it would all work, but the idea of making the polluter pay seemed like a good one in principle. But Ontario's Conservative government is not big on principles, or on the environment in general, at least where it cones into conflict with the serious business of making money.