Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd. is partnering with a product stewardship firm to provide collection and recycling options for packaging and printed paper in British Columbia.

The Vaughan, Ontario-based Progressive Waste is the first recycling provider to work with the Burnaby, B.C.-based StewardChoice Enterprises Inc., which has developed a stewardship plan for producers to meet the requirements of British Columbia’s recycling regulation to recover at least 75 percent of their packaging and printed paper, according to a news release. Producer-funded service began being provided earlier this year after the province passed the law in 2011.

The initial goal of the proposed program is to provide producer-funded collection and recycling to residents currently not being served, particularly those living in multi-family dwellings. Currently more than 20 percent of British Columbia households don’t receive a producer-funded recycling service.

“We are very pleased to have Progressive Waste Solutions, a leading BC waste and recycling services provider, come on board to support the development of the new EPR (extended producer responsibility) program,” said Neil Hastie, development director for StewardChoice.

Said Tom Loewen, Progessive’s BC area manager, “We believe that open and competitive markets provide producers and other stakeholders with cost-efficient collection and recycling services and facilitates more innovation in the marketplace.”