The UCDA worked with the Ontario Tire Dealers Association, AARO Canada and the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association to try to tackle the tire collection and recycling crisis in Ontario caused by regulatory changes months ago that led to backlogs and thousands of uncollected tires.

The Tire Dealers Association said:

“The Ontario Tire Dealers Association is reviewing the regulatory amendments announced by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). At a high level, we believe these changes should help ease collection backlogs across Ontario and provide tire collection sites with greater stability and certainty going forward.

There are still questions about how quickly these changes will impact collections this year. Increasing the management target from 65 to 80 per cent should result in more tires being collected, but we need MECP and Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) to release year-to-date collection data before we can determine how much additional collection will actually be required and take place.

Increasing the required collection network from approximately 4,300 to 6,500 sites is also positive, but we need historical data from RPRA to understand how that compares with the network that existed before the 2025 reductions and whether some collection sites could still be left without access to the network.

We are also encouraged by the increased financial reporting requirements for PROs. Greater transparency and accountability are important to ensuring producers and the PROs representing them are meeting their obligations.

One of the concerns now is timing and capacity. For much of this year, tire haulers and processors have been operating under reduced volumes and quotas, resulting in reduced services, parked equipment and staff layoffs. Some of that capacity cannot be restored overnight. PROs also need time to assess the new requirements and implement their collection plans.

The question now is how quickly those plans can be put into action and how quickly the collection and processing system can respond, particularly as we enter one of the busiest times of the year for Ontario’s tire dealers.”

Days ago, the Ministry of the Environment in Ontario finally announced significant regulatory changes to Ontario’s producer responsibility regulations, including several amendments to the Tires Regulation:

• Tire management target increased from 65% to 80% for 2026 and each year thereafter.

  This is positive and should require additional tires to be collected and managed this year. However, we need RPRA to release current 2026 collection and management data before we can determine the actual impact. If PROs were tracking toward the previous 65% requirement, the increase could represent roughly 2.25–2.5 million additional tires. Either way, more tires will need to move, and there are still questions around available hauling and processing capacity currently.

• Required collection network increases from approximately 4,300 to 6,500 sites beginning January 1, 2027.

  Also positive, but we would like to see the RPRA release historical and current collection-site data so we can understand how the 6,500-site requirement compares with the network that existed before the 2025 changes. The obvious concern is that this does not take effect until 2027. However, the increased 80% management target may create pressure for PROs to access considerably more collection sites before then.

• New restrictions on when PROs can change or remove collection sites during the year.

  A positive change that should provide collection sites with greater stability and certainty. Businesses should not be brought into a collection network and then unexpectedly lose service without reasonable safeguards.

• New financial reporting requirements for PROs under the Tires, Batteries, EEE, HSP and Blue Box regulations.

  This is a strong step forward. Greater financial transparency should provide RPRA with better information regarding the actual costs associated with collection and management and assist with compliance and enforcement.

• $1-million cap on administrative penalties removed.

  This is also a significant change. It creates a much stronger incentive for producers to ensure the PROs representing them are meeting their regulatory obligations. The amended framework allows administrative penalties to better reflect the economic benefit associated with non-compliance.

Overall, there are some meaningful and positive changes here, several of which address concerns we have been raising. However, the biggest thing we need now is data from RPRA. Until we understand where PROs currently stand against their 2026 obligations and the current size and capacity of the collection network, it is difficult to determine how quickly these changes will translate into tires actually being collected.

There will be much more to come as we work through the details and receive further clarification from MECP and RPRA.

The complete MECP decision can be reviewed HERE.