Changes to the Blue Box Regulation: Details on management requirements, energy from waste, changes to collection, and other key amendments
In September of this year, the Government of Ontario finalized amendments to the Blue Box Regulation. Following the amendments, we provided a summary of the key amendments that will impact Blue Box registrants beginning in 2026 as well as information about amendment-related changes impacting flexible plastics targets and new timelines for eligible facilities and First Nation communities.
Further to those communications, we are providing more details on the previously summarized changes and information about amendments that have not yet been addressed.
Below you will find:
More details about the previously summarized amendments
An additional summary of amendments, including clarifications and definitions
Details on the amendments summarized by RPRA in September
Best-efforts provision for management requirements for all Blue Box material is extended until 2027
- For the 2026 and 2027 performance years, producers must make “best efforts” to meet their management requirements.
- Before the amendments, producers were required to manage a certain amount of Blue Box material and meet management requirements in 2026 onwards.
The management requirements for paper, glass, metal, rigid plastics and beverage containers are unchanged until 2032
- The management requirement for paper, glass, metal, rigid plastics and beverage containers is unchanged.
- Recovery percentages will increase in 2032 to:
- 85% for paper and glass
- 75% for metal
- 60% for rigid plastics
- 80% for beverage containers
Expansion of collection in public spaces has been removed
- Producers must maintain the collection of the existing public space bins in communities that were serviced under the legacy program.
- Before the amendments, producers were required to expand public space bins based on population size starting in 2026.
Energy from waste can count as a recovered resource
- Starting in 2026, up to 15% of a producer’s management requirement can be met through energy-from-waste (EfW) processes for each material category.
- This means that a producer can count the residue used as fuel or fuel supplement in an EfW recovery process as a recovered resource in limited circumstances for each material category.
- Before the amendments, producers could not meet their management requirement through EfW processes.
- Producers can rely on this provision for the 2026 performance year.
Removal of ‘away from home’ collection of beverage containers
- Starting in 2026, producers are responsible only for the beverage containers supplied to residential consumers.
- This means that beverage container producers may deduct what’s collected from a business or institution where producers are not required to provide Blue Box collection services.
- Additional guidance will be provided to producers ahead of the 2026 reporting period.
Details on additional amendments that may impact producers in 2026
Clarification of timelines for providing Blue Box services to new residences
- Starting in 2026, producers are required to collect from new residences “as soon as is practicable”.
- Before the amendments, the regulation had no timeline for servicing newly built residences, only that the residences become eligible sources in 2026, when the producer-run program fully transitions.
Change to Promotion and Education (P&E) requirements
- Producers are now required to publish P&E material on a website in French and English and deliver in print form ‘upon request’.
- Requests are limited to once per year.
Other key amendments include:
- Simplifying the definition of consumers to mean individuals who use a product and its packaging for personal, family or household purposes
- Changing the definition of residence to mean a building with five or fewer residential units
- Changing the definition of a facility to mean a building that contains six or more dwelling units
- Clarifying a provision that producers must ensure that a resident who can use a municipal garbage depot, can also use the blue box depot to drop off Blue Box material
- Adding a new provision to ensure that Blue Box material collected is processed by a registered processor within three months after it’s collected
For more information about Ontario’s Blue Box Regulation visit our Blue Box Program page.
Have a question?
Contact our Compliance and Registry Team at [email protected] or 1-833-600-0530.