RPRA approves Stewardship Ontario’s simplified steward fee-setting methodology proposal with conditions

RPRA has approved, with conditions, Stewardship Ontario’s proposed addendum to the Blue Box Program Wind-up Plan to implement a revised steward fee-setting methodology during the Blue Box Program transition period. Read the approval letter.

The revised methodology, as outlined in the addendum, eliminates the need for stewards to report supply-to-market data to Stewardship Ontario. Once Stewardship Ontario fulfills the conditions of approval described below, the revised methodology may be implemented starting this year with the 2022 reporting cycle through to the end of the Blue Box Program transition period on December 31, 2025.

In approving the addendum, RPRA assessed whether it was compliant with requirements in the Waste Diversion Transition Act, 2016 (WDTA) and the Minister’s directions and consistent with RPRA’s Wind-Up Guide.

Between January 21, 2022, and February 4, 2022, RPRA consulted on the addendum with Blue Box Program participants and other interested stakeholders. Visit the consultation page to learn more about the consultation process and read the consultation report that summarizes the feedback received and how RPRA incorporated the feedback in its approval.

To address concerns about program performance evaluation due to the loss of steward supply-to-market reporting, which was the primary concern raised during consultation, RPRA imposed the following conditions as a stipulation of its approval of the addendum:

1. Before implementing the simplified fee-setting methodology, Stewardship Ontario shall provide a comprehensive plan satisfactory to RPRA staff for determining the recovery rate of the Blue Box Program through to the transition in 2025. The plan shall include a detailed methodology for calculating generated tonnes considering the proposed elimination of steward supply-to-market reporting to Stewardship Ontario.
2. Stewardship Ontario shall continue to undertake bale composition studies until an alternative is presented that is satisfactory to RPRA staff.

During the transition period, Stewardship Ontario will continue to operate the Blue Box Program without disruption and RPRA will continue to oversee Stewardship Ontario and its operation of the Blue Box Program and monitor the implementation of the approved wind-up plan and its conditions.

Visit Stewardship Ontario’s website for information on the implementation of the wind-up plan, including the addendum, or contact Stewardship Ontario for any operational inquiries.