About CIF
The Continuous Improvement Fund (CIF) is a program developed through a partnership among Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO), the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), the City of Toronto and Stewardship Ontario to provide grants and loans to Ontario municipalities to execute projects that improve the effectiveness and efficiency of municipal blue box recycling. The CIF evolved from the Effectiveness and Efficiency Fund and began operation in January 2008. The partners gave the CIF a three year mandate to assist in the implementation of projects that will:
- identify and implement best practices,
- examine and test emerging technologies,
- employ innovative solutions to increase blue box materials marketed, and
- promote gains in cost-effectiveness that can be implemented province-wide.
Municipalities are awarded CIF funding support in two ways. CIF may approach a municipality to take on a high priority project that CIF staff, recycling industry experts or CIF committees have identified as needed. Or, municipalities may apply to CIF identifying community-specific or broader-interest projects.
As of the end of 2010, CIF has invested $27 million in municipal blue box projects valued at more than $70 million.
Funding Program Extended
In mid-2010, the WDO Board approved additional funding for the CIF resulting in the program partners extending the time frame for the program to the end of 2011 with a requirement that all funding be allocated by June 2013.
Funding Source
The CIF comprises a percentage of the annual financial obligations that industry stewards pay as their annual financial obligation to fund a 50% share of the net cost of Ontario’s blue box program. Stewards are companies whose products and packaging are managed in the municipal waste system at end of life.
Annual Funding Amounts
- 2008: $13 Million
- 2009: ~ $25 Million
- 2010: ~$28 Million*
- 2011: $18 Milllion
*this figure includes a holdback of $3 million, leaving $19.5 million for CIF projects and $5.25 million for additional projects. (See Section 6 of the 2010 Operations Plan.)
Strategic Priorities
Each year the CIF develops an operations plan to meet the objectives established in the Strategic Plan. Read more about the strategic priorities in each year in the operations plans.
CIF Projects Committee Members |
|
|---|---|
| Chair:
Andy Campbell Director CIF 705.719.7913 andycampbell@wdo.ca |
|
| Jerry Biersteker Senior Environmental Engineer Region of Waterloo - Waste Management 519.575-4009 jbiersteker@regionofwaterloo.ca |
Rick Denyes Director, Materials Management Stewardship Ontario 416.323.0101 x156 rdenyes@stewardshipontario.ca |
| Steve Whitter Director–Infrastructure Development & Contracted Services City of Toronto 416.396.4771 swhitter@toronto.ca |
Erwin Pascual Manager of Waste Planning Region of Peel 905.791.7800, Ext. 7951 erwinpascual@peelregion.ca |
| John Dixie StewardEdge 647.777.3366 jdixie@.stewardedge.ca |
Alec Scott MIPC - Blue Box Program Municipal Coordinator 705.722.0225 archenv@sympatico.ca |
Program funding is derived by setting aside a percentage of the fees that companies contribute to municipalities as their share of the cost of operating Ontario's blue box programs.
