The provincial government says new fees on small appliances aren’t a revenue stream for the government, despite the fact that taxes are being charged on those fees.
The new fee, applied by the Electronic Products Recycling Association, has been added at the point of sale for new small appliances like microwaves, toasters and coffee makers.
The association oversees end of life recycling programs across the country, and the fee is being introduced to help offset the cost of recycling those same items instead of throwing them in the trash.
The fees will range from 90 cents, to nearly seven dollars depending on the item, and is then taxed by the province.
Environmental and Climate Change Minister Lisa Dempster says the fees are in place to help offset the cost of the expanded recycling program.
“There’s no cost to the province and there is no revenue stream that comes back to the province as a result of this process.”