B.C. newspaper publishers say MMBC recycling program unworkable

The heads of B.C.'s major newspaper chains say the province's recycling regulations would cripple the industry and they want to cut a deal to avoid paying cash for recycling fees.

Under the new rules brought in in 2014, the province requires the producers of all paper and packaging products in B.C. to pay for their collection and recycling.

They can either join the umbrella organization called MMBC and pay a fee, which 1,300 companies have already done, or set up their own system.

Letters obtained by CBC News show that so far the newspapers have done neither, resulting in warnings from the Environment Ministry that they need to fall in line.

But Rick O'Connor, the president of Black Press, which publishes about 80 community newspapers in the province, says the fees assessed by MMBC $200 per tonne for recycling newsprint are "outrageous" and would likely force the closure of many small town newspapers.

"Nowhere else in the world is a newspaper charged $200 per tonne for recycling. They are not even charged $100. They are not even charged $50," said O'Connor.

Likewise Gordon Fisher, the president of Postmedia, which publishes both theVancouver Sun and the Province says the newspapers don't want to shirk responsibility, but the fees proposed by MMBC are too high.

"The fees are ridiculous.. they are of a magnitude that would probably result in the closure of many newspapers," said Fisher.

But the head of MMBC, Allen Langdon, disputes claims the newspaper fees are too high, saying "we just want everyone to pay their share. "

Langdon says the sale of recycled newspaper only covers a fraction of the cost of collecting it, and the fees reflect the real costs of the program.

Alternative deal

Meanwhile O'Connor says the newspapers met with officials at the Environment Ministry as recently as January to try and strike a deal to provide advertising space instead of paying cash fees.

"Probably the main thing is we would extinguish our responsibilities for recycling in exchange for a massive program to promote recycling in the province," he said.

The recycling program would also be funded from the sale of the newsprint collected for recycling. A similar arrangement is already in place in Ontario and Quebec.

Other provinces have found different solutions for cash-strapped newspaper publishers. Manitoba pays the newspaper's fees, while Saskatchewan has excused them from paying fees.

MMBC's Allen Langdon notes B.C. is the first province that is asking newspapers to pay the full cost of recycling their own newsprint.

"They haven't paid fees anywhere else in Canada. I'm not sure if the cost was $200 a tonne or $100 per tonne they just don't want to pay," he said.

Social considerations

But both publishers argue that unlike the producers of packaging which are part of MMBC newspapers serve a social role, which should be given special consideration.

"A newspaper is a tool of democracy. A package wraps around something and has no other use. I think that you have to separate packaging from a product," said Fisher

While O'Connor favours setting up a separate system from MMBC, Fisher says that would likely be too costlyand favours sticking with a single recycling system for B.C.

"We want to work with government and get to a solution that works for everybody, and take up our share of responsibility ... I think there is a deal to be done."

A spokesperson with the B.C. Environment Ministry was only able to confirm that the government is working to enforce the existing rules.