Ontario Program to Tackle OTRs

Ontario's Environment Minister has approved the Ontario Tire Stewardship's February plan for used tire collection and processing, six years after the filing of Regulation 84/03, designating "used tires" under the Ontario's Waste Diversion Act. The expected launch date for Ontario's tire program is September 1, 2009. The program adopts major concepts from product stewardship programs up and running in Western Canada (B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) since the early '90s.

Ontario's plan contemplates a review over the next 12 months to look at options for processing off-road tires (OTRs), enormous industrial tires used on large equipment in mining, construction and agricultural sectors. According to the plan, 1.2 million OTRs were sold and disposed of in Ontario in 2007, and there is currently no local processor of OTRs.

There is an Alberta company that processes OTRs and an Alberta pilot project has essentially eliminated stockpiles of these tires in Alberta. While Alberta's Recycling Authority continues to monitor the OTR issue, Ontario's program may be the first permanent, formal program to tackle OTRs. How these large, durable products are handled will be something to watch in the coming months.