What’s New

► Board of Directors Special Announcement

Following a national search conducted this fall, it is my pleasure, on behalf of MMSM’s Board of Directors, to announce that Christa Rust has accepted our offer to become the next Executive Director of MMSM, effective January 12, 2026. 

Christa is an accomplished sustainability and recycling leader with more than 15 years of experience in Manitoba program development and operations. She currently serves with the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, where she leads the Green Advantage program and the development of Manitoba’s roadmap to net zero. Many of MMSM’s long-serving team members will also recall her decade with CBCRA’s Recycle Everywhere program, where, as Senior Program Director, she built and scaled the initiative, leading a team that grew to nine permanent and 20 seasonal staff. 

Christa brings deep industry expertise and a strong understanding of the partners and stakeholders central to MMSM’s success. She is well known and highly respected across the province, with established relationships among municipalities, First Nations, provincial officials, producers, and other key partners—relationships that will be invaluable as MMSM grows into its significant future role. 

Christa is looking forward to joining MMSM and working alongside and learning from such a dedicated and highly regarded team. We have shared with her that MMSM’s strong reputation is a direct reflection of the team’s commitment and professionalism. 

We also extend our sincere appreciation to Karen Melnychuk, who has led MMSM with dedication and vision for 15 years. When she steps down as Executive Director on December 31, 2025, we are pleased that she has agreed to continue supporting the organization for a limited period of time, as needed and at Christa’s discretion, to ensure a seamless transition for both the team and the organization. 

We are very pleased to welcome Christa to MMSM. 

► 2024 Annual Producer Meeting Resources

The 2024 Annual Producer Meeting (APM) was on Thursday, October 24.

The 2024 APM shared program updates and 2025 budgets and fees for Circular Materials programs in New Brunswick and Alberta, Stewardship Ontario, Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba, Multi-Material Stewardship Western (SK Recycles) and Recycle BC. The Report to Producers, presentation file, and webinar replay are available below.

Webinar resources:

* Please note, following the APM webinar and Report to Producers publication in October 2024, Recycle BC announced a reduction in the 2025 fee budget in December 2024. For more information on these fee changes visit the Recycle BC website. The national material fee rates document above have been updated to reflect these changes.

 

► National Integration for Blue Box in Canada

September 14, 2023

We are pleased to share an update on a nationally integrated approach that is being developed to support Canada’s transition to extended producer responsibility (EPR). 

The transition to EPR is expected to occur separately but concurrently across provinces between 2023 – 2025, and producers are experiencing significant financial and operational considerations as this transition commences.

To support this change and manage impact, Circular Materials, Recycle BC, Multi-Material Stewardship Western and Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba are working together to review an optimal business model for delivering EPR across Canada. This includes developing a nationally integrated approach and roadmap that identifies activities the respective organizations will collaborate on to achieve common goals and efficiencies together.

The purpose of the work is to mitigate cost increases and achieve productivity gains that can come from national integration and local/regional presence, looking at:

  • maximizing efficiency of current and future reserves,
  • improving environmental outcomes while driving economies of scale and cost savings,
  • providing producers with a unified national voice in support of existing and future regulations,
  • capitalizing on the efficiencies of a common, harmonized approach (processes and technology),
  • delivering a model that is reflective of regional needs and priorities,
  • meeting the needs of all producers, regardless of size or industry, and
  • developing national standardization of both material inputs and outputs to enable efficiencies within the system, all while appropriately managing and mitigating risks.

There are many opportunities to leverage the strengths, capabilities, and investments we have built over the years across producer responsibility organizations to deliver national integration. 

We look forward to sharing more as we evolve this nationally integrated approach to support producers and improve environmental outcomes.

► Department of Environment and Climate Letter

MMSM received a letter from the Department of Environment and Climate on extending the current program plan, as well as the next steps on the draft Transition Plan to full EPR. The letter can be viewed here.

June 6, 2023