StewardChoice and Progressive Waste Solutions Announce Collaborative Agreement

Agreement to provide competitive recycling service choices for producers

BURNABY, BC, July 8, 2014 /CNW/ - StewardChoice Enterprises Inc. and Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd.  announced a collaborative agreement to provide market based choices for expanding producer-funded collection and recycling services for packaging and printed paper in BC.  Progressive Waste Solutions is the first recycling services company to work with StewardChoice.  

"We are very pleased to have Progressive Waste Solutions, a leading BC waste and recycling services provider, come on board to support the development of the new EPR program," says Neil Hastie, Development Director for StewardChoice Enterprises.  "Their involvement will provide choice and flexibility for producers and other stakeholders within the recycling supply chain as we work collaboratively to increase valuable material recovery and reduce overall system costs."

The initial focus of the proposed StewardChoice program is to provide producer-funded collection and recycling to those residents who are currently not being serviced; particularly to those living in multi-family dwellings. Today, more than 20% of these BC households do not receive a producer-funded recycling service.  Traditionally, recycling performance in multi-family dwellings has lagged behind single-family households for a few reasons: lack of educational material for residents, inconvenient recycling bin locations, and insufficient bin capacity to store recyclables. 

"We believe that open and competitive markets provide producers and other stakeholders with cost-efficient collection and recycling services and facilitates more innovation in the marketplace," stated Tom Loewen, the BC Area Manager for Progressive Waste Solutions.  "This proposed program is also consistent with the BC government's desire to encourage more private sector investment and innovation in the province.

StewardChoice's competitive draft stewardship plan will offer producers an opportunity to fulfill their legal obligations, under the BC Recycling Regulation, to recover at least 75% of their packaging and printed paper in the marketplace.

Last month, StewardChoice released its draft plan for public consultation.  Prior to submitting the final plan to the BC Ministry of Environment, StewardChoice will engage in public consultation with stakeholders over a minimum 45-day period as required by the Ministry.  Once the plan is approved, the new recycling service will commence as early as next year initially in multi-family buildings.  

The StewardChoice Packaging and Printed Paper Stewardship Service Plan is available at stewardchoice.ca.

About StewardChoice Enterprises
StewardChoice Enterprises Inc. is a subsidiary of Reclay StewardEdge, a North American leader providing packaging stewardship solutions to consumer product goods organizations.  StewardChoice is based and managed in the province of BC.For more information please see www.stewardchoice.ca

Reclay StewardEdge (RSE) is a leading Canadian-based international stewardship organization that has extensive experience and expertise in sustainability, related to end-of-life management of packaging and products. RSE has provided stewardship solutions to numerous producers across Canada and in 2012, StewardEdge became a part of the Reclay Group enabling them to offer a broader suite of services internationally.

About Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd.
Progressive Waste Solutions is a leading waste and recycling services company in BC that employs 400 persons and serves customers in the residential, industrial, commercial and institutional sectors. Progressive Waste Solutions is proud to play a leadership role in the BC waste services industry.  The Company operates the province's largest fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) powered waste collection vehicles serving the City of Surrey.

SOURCE: StewardChoice Enterprises Inc.

For media inquiries please contact: Neil Hastie, Development Director, StewardChoice Enterprises Inc., 604-360-8870, [email protected]; Tom Loewen, Area Manager (BC), Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd., 250 765-1462, [email protected]