The Eco-Fee Imbroglio: Lessons from Ontario’s Troubled Experiment in Charging for Waste Management

28 Pages Posted: 22 Jan 2011

See all articles by Andrew James Green

Andrew James Green

University of Toronto - Faculty of Law

Michael J. Trebilcock

University of Toronto - Faculty of Law

Date Written: December 9, 2010

Abstract

Charging for the life cycle cost of waste management is contentious. The recent example of some retailers charging "eco-fees" in Ontario, with respect to sales of household products such as detergent, batteries and fluorescent light bulbs, is a case in point. However, the Ontario program for municipal waste, which the provincial government has partially abandoned, is just one example of the movement known as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which is spreading across the country and to many products. As in numerous other jurisdictions, Canadian provinces have imposed, or are considering, similar EPR programs for products such as tires, electronics and countless other goods. This Commentary uses lessons from Ontario’s waste programs to examine EPR’s potential attractions – when such programs are properly designed.

Keywords: Economic Growth and Innovation, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Ontario, Canada, eco-fees, waste management life cycle cost

JEL Classification: Q53, Q58, H23

Suggested Citation

Green, Andrew James and Trebilcock, Michael J., The Eco-Fee Imbroglio: Lessons from Ontario’s Troubled Experiment in Charging for Waste Management (December 9, 2010). C.D. Howe Institute Working Paper No. 316, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1744267 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1744267

Andrew James Green (Contact Author)

University of Toronto - Faculty of Law ( email )

84 Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C5
Canada

Michael J. Trebilcock

University of Toronto - Faculty of Law ( email )

78 and 84 Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C5
Canada
416-978-5843 (Phone)
416-978-1279 (Fax)

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