2024 Blue Box Steward Funding Obligation finalized

RPRA has finalized the Blue Box Steward Funding Obligation for 2024. The total amount stewards must pay to participating communities for operating the Blue Box Program has been set at $84.8 million.

The 2024 Steward Funding Obligation was set using information obtained from the 2022 Datacall which surveys municipalities, First Nation communities and recycling associations on costs and amounts of materials collected through the Blue Box Program.

The 2024 Steward Funding Obligation reflects communities exiting the legacy Blue Box Program and transitioning to the new extended producer responsibility framework outlined in the Blue Box Regulation and the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016. In the calculation of the gross cost, revenue, net cost, and tonnage for the 2022 data year, the inputs for transitioning communities are pro-rated based on the number of days they will be active in the 2024 program year. (For example, a municipality exiting on July 1, 2024, will be paid for operating its Blue Box program for 182 days.) The pro-rated values are used in the calculation of the total Steward Funding Obligation.

2024 Steward Obligation (2022 Data Year)
Total Gross Cost$208,279,215
3 Year Average Revenue$38,529,961
Prior Year Adjustments($81,479)
Total Net Costs$169,667,775
50% of Net Costs$84,833,887
2024 Steward Obligation$84,833,887

The 2024 Municipal Funding Allocation Model (MFAM) has also been finalized. The 2024 MFAM reflects the pro-rated values for communities that are set to transition to the new Blue Box Regulation in 2024.

The InKind Advertising Program allows members of News Media Canada and Ontario Community Newspaper Association to fulfill their Steward Funding Obligation by providing newspaper advertising linage to municipalities and First Nations, as well as a possible partial cash payment if commodity prices reach a certain level. No cash payment is required under the InKind Advertising Program for the 2024 program year.