Nov 10
24
McGuinty’s ongoing eco-fee slavery of Ontario citizens
Received via email from a patriotic Ontarian…
The Province of Ontario has passed legislation establishing a funding system for the collection and recycling of designated electronic products. As a result, Dell Canada Inc. (“Dell”) will be collecting a Provincial Environmental Fee for certain electronic devices sold into the Province of Ontario as of April 1, 2009.
Under the current law and regulations, the following Dell branded & third party products sold into Ontario will be subject to a Provincial Environmental Fee:
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The Fees associated with the legislation are as follows:
| Desktop computers (CPU) | $7.80 |
| All-In-One Computers | $12.25 |
| Laptops/netbooks | $2.75 |
| Computer monitors (LCD & CRT) | $12.25 |
| Desktop Printers/printer combos | $5.40 |
| Floor printers (single function and multi function models) | $32.50 |
| Peripherals (Mouse, Keyboard, Optical Drive, Disk Drive) Per Peripheral Charge | $0.40 |
| Televisions (<18″) | $12.25 |
| Televisions (19″-29″) | $12.25 |
| Televisions (30″-45″) | $26.25 |
| Televisions (>45″) | $26.25 |
| Telephones and Telephone Answering Machines | $1.00 |
| Cellular Devices and Pagers | $0.10 |
| Personal/Portable Image, Audio and Video Devices | $0.40 |
| Home/Non-Portable Audio and video players | $2.75 |
| Home Theatre in a Box (HTB) | $9.95 |
| Aftermarket Vehicle Audio and video players | $2.85 |
In compliance with the Ontario legislation, Dell plans to add the Provincial Environmental Fee to your invoice based upon products selected and a ship to location of Ontario.
Eco Fees
Newest eco fees eliminated, eco fees restricted to “phase one” products
At a press conference on Tuesday July 20, Ontario’s minister of the environment announced that government was ending eco fees on the consumer products designated under phase two of Orange Drop or the Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste (MHSW) Program.
What’s changed?
Effective July 20, you will not be required to pay an eco fee on any of the potentially thousands of products that fall into one of the 13 material categories added to Orange Drop on July 1, 2010. These include fluorescent tubes and bulbs, aerosols, portable fire extinguishers, mercury-containing devices, and corrosives, such as acidic cleaning products, drain openers, pool and spa chemicals, masonry products and paint remover.
What hasn’t changed?
Retailers may still charge you eco fees on any of the nine materials introduced when the program was launched in July 2008. These are:
- Household paints and coatings and their containers
- Solvents, such as thinners for paint, lacquer and contact cement, paint strippers and degreasers, and their containers
- Used oil filters
- Oil containers of 30 litres or less
- Single-use, dry cell batteries
- Automotive antifreeze (engine coolant) and related containers
- Pressured containers, such as propane tanks and cylinders
- Fertilizers and their containers
- Pesticides, including fungicides, herbicides and insecticides, and their containers
What if a retailer tries to charge me an eco fee on another MHSW product?
Please call the government’s consumer-protection hotline at (1-800-889-9768 or TTY: 416-229-6086 or 1-877-666-6545) to report unfair fees.
What about the eco fee I was charged on tires or a new TV?
Only the eco fees associated with phase two of the Orange Drop or MHSW Program have been cancelled. Ontario Electronic Stewardship sets fees for electrical and electronic equipment, while Ontario Tire Stewardship levies fees on tires. These programs are completely outside our jurisdiction.
* Why Are Taxes So High? For the 45 years from 1961 to 2007, we had the following increases: Food, 505%; clothing, 455%; Consumer Price Index, 610%; Shelter, 1,063%; Cash Income, 1,023%. But the increase in taxation in that same period was 1,704%! (p. 65).