Changes to Ontario’s Blue Box Program

Does your company supply products with packaging to a big box retail or online retailer selling in Ontario? If the answer is yes, then your company will be impacted by changes coming to the Ontario Blue Box Program.

The Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) was created by the Government of Ontario to support the transition to a cirucular economy through overseeing two waste diversion programs, the Blue Box and Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste (MHSW).  The following information is a summary of the most prudent information provided by RPRA.  For further information, please visit the links provided on each topic.

“The Government of Ontario has finalized the Blue Box Regulation under the Resource Recovery & Circular Economy Act, 2016, requiring producers of packaging to operate and pay for the collection and reuse, refurbishment and recycling of blue box materials. Products and packaging included in the Blue Box Regulation are those primarily composed of glass, flexible or rigid plastic, metal, paper or a combination of these materials.”

Are you a producer?

“A person is considered a producer under the Blue Box Regulation if they supply blue box material (packaging, paper producers or packaging-like products) comprised of paper, glass, metal or plastic, or a combination of these materials to consumers in Ontario.”

“retailer” means a business that supplies products to consumers, whether online or at a physical location; (“détaillant”)

For Determination of the Producer, please refer to part II of the regulation. https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r21391#BK8

Minimum Requirements

42. The minimum amount and recovery percentages for the purposes of section 40 are set out in the following Table: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r21391#BK42

TABLE

Material category

Minimum amount under subsection 40 (2)
(in tonnes)

Recovery percentage 2026 – 2029 (expressed as a percentage)

Recovery percentage 2030 onwards (expressed as a percentage)

Paper

9

80

85

Rigid Plastic

2

50

60

Flexible Plastic

2

25

40

Glass

1

75

85

Metal

1

67

75

Beverage Containers

1

75

80
 

Key Dates:

Before October 1, 2021

Producers to register with the Authority

  

Starting July 1, 2023

Producers to establish and operate systems to collect and
manage blue box materials discarded by consumers

  

Starting January 1, 2024

Producers or PROs on their behalf, to report annually to
the authority on their performance meeting their
management requirements.
 

“Producers are required to register with the Resource Productivity & Recovery Authority (RPRA) by October 1, 2021.”

Registry Procedure:
https://rpra.ca/wp-content/uploads/Blue-Box-Verification-and-Audit-Procedure_ENG.pdf?bcs-agent-scanner=28901e74-a03c-dd4c-8e86-e0964aa978b0

Registry:

https://rpra.ca/programs/blue-box/regulation/registry-resources-for-blue-box/

Fees: Proposed 2021 Registry Fees for Blue Box and Hazardous and Special Products – RPRA

To access recordings of RPRA information sessions, please visit Recent Webinars:

https://rpra.ca/learn/  Or Understanding your Requirements as a Blue Box Producer

If you would like to request an extension to the registration deadline, visit this link REGISTRY RESOURCES FOR BLUE BOX – RPRA and select ‘Compliance Bulletins’

Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO)

“A producer responsibility organization, or PRO, is a business established to contract with producers to provide collection, management, and administrative services to help producers meet their regulatory obligations under the Blue Box Regulation, including:

  • Representing a producer for the purposes of the creation of the rules
  • Arranging, establishing or operating a collection or management system
  • Arranging, establishing or operating promotion and education system
  • Preparing and submitting reports.”

“There are no deadlines for a producer to sign up with a PRO, and producers are not required to have a contract with a PRO prior to the October 1, 2021 deadline.”

“Important considerations about working with PROs:

  • Producers are not required to sign up with a PRO. It is a business decision if a producer chooses to work with a PRO, and a producer can choose to meet their obligations without a PRO.
  • Producers can have a different PRO for the purposes of rule creation and providing collection/management services, and they can enter contracts for each at different times.
  • RPRA has communicated that the PRO’s programs are not vetted by RPRA and it is the responsibility of the producers to assure their programs meet the requirements.”

For More Information regarding PROs, please visit: https://rpra.ca/programs/blue-box/regulation/pros/

There are three PRO’s currently registered with RPRA who have responded to EFC’s email.

EFC has been in contact with PROs to arrange opportunities for our members to understand the services being offered by each PRO, along with an opportunity for Q&A.

ryse solutions
circular materials
resource recovery alliance

Gordon Day | Vice President
Email: gordon.day@ryseinc.ca
Website: ryseinc.ca

Services Offered:

  • Rule Creator
  • Collection, Management, promotion and education, reporting

Webinar:

Details to come

Shane Buckingham Email: info@circularmaterials.ca Website: https://www.circularmaterials.ca/ Services Offered:

  • Rule creator
  • Collection, Management, promotion and education, reporting
  • Non-for-Profit

Webinar:
View the webinar recording

Craig Barlett
Email: info@RRAPRO.com
Website: https://www.rralliance.com/

Services Offered:

  • Rule Creator
  • Collection, Management, promotion and education, reporting

Webinar:

View the webinar recording

View PDF presentation

RRA Representation Agreement

Additional Resources