Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the lists of registered PROs:

Tire PROs

Battery PROs

ITT/AV PROs

Lighting PROs

Blue Box PROs

Hazardous and Special Products PROs

These lists will continue to be updated as new PROs register with RPRA.

No. Section 68 subsection (3) of the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act states that “a person responsible for establishing and operating a collection system shall ensure that no charge is imposed at the time of the collection.”

The Tires Regulation states that at least one collection site or event per year is required in a territorial district with a population of 1,000 or more. Read Compliance Bulletin – Tire Collection Systems for more information.

No. If a municipality has a private company operating a site on their behalf, the company is not required to register the municipally-owned sites as long as the tires are picked up by a registered hauler and delivered to a registered processor or retreader.

If the private company owns or operates collection sites that are not owned by a municipality, it is required to register and report its non-municipally-owned sites.

To ensure tires continue to be picked up from your sites, you will need to make sure those sites are included in the collection systems established by tire producers or producer responsibility organizations (PROs). Since most producers will work with PROs to establish their collection systems, municipalities should contact a registered PRO.

Visit our webpage about PROs for more information.

Collection sites are required to accept used tires that are of similar rim size and weight as the new tires (or tires on new vehicles) that they sell. Use the Authority’s Find a Collection Site map to find a drop-off location and call ahead to confirm that the collection site will accept your tires.

No. The Authority does not administer contracts or provide incentives. Under the Regulations, producers will either work with a producer responsibility organization (PRO) or work directly with collection sites, haulers, refurbisher’s and/or processors to meet their collection and management requirements. Any reimbursement for services provided towards meeting a producers’ collection and management requirements will be determined through commercial contracts.

To discuss any payment, contact your service provider or a PRO. RPRA does not set the terms of the contractual arrangements between PROs and producers.

Tire collection sites are established to facilitate the responsible recycling and management of used tires. The types of tires accepted at these sites include, but are not limited to:

Examples of Accepted Tires:

• Automobile tires (cars, SUVs, light-duty trucks)
• Motorcycle tires
• Motor assisted bicycle tires (e.g., mopeds, non-kick scooters)
• Tractor tires
• Tires on industrial and agricultural vehicles and equipment
• Transport truck tires
• Trailer tires (e.g., boat trailers, RVs)
• All-terrain vehicle (ATV) tires
• Riding lawn mower tires
• Aircraft tires (if not supplied on an aircraft)
• Snow blower tires
• Small tires (1 kg to <5 kg), such as:
  • Wheelbarrow tires
  • Dolly tires

Examples of Tires That Are Not Accepted:

• Bicycle tires (muscle-powered)
• Stroller and kick scooter tires (non-motorized)
• Power-assisted bicycle tires (e.g., electric bicycles)
• Personal mobility device tires (e.g., wheelchairs, medical scooters)

Tires can be dropped off on or off the rim. Collection sites must accept tires on rims.

Sections 54 and 55 of the Blue Box Regulation require municipalities and First Nations to submit the information in the Initial Report and Transition Report to the Authority.

Under the Blue Box Regulation, producers will be fully responsible for the collection and management of Blue Box materials that are supplied into Ontario. To ensure that all communities continue to receive Blue Box collection services, communities will be allocated to producers, or PROs on their behalf, who are obligated to provide collection services. The information that is submitted in the Initial and Transition Reports will be used by PROs to plan for collection in each eligible community.

The Authority will also use the information provided by municipalities and First Nations to ensure that producers are complying with their collection obligations under the Blue Box Regulation.

It is important that municipalities and First Nations complete these reports accurately so that all eligible sources (residences, facilities, and public spaces) in their communities continue to receive Blue Box collection after their community transitions to full producer responsibility.

There are three reports for eligible communities under the Blue Box Regulation: an Initial Report, a Transition Report and Change Reports.

• The Initial Report will be submitted by all communities in 2021. It will provide an overview of the communities and of the WDTA Blue Box program that operates in that community.
• The Transition Report will be submitted by communities 2 years prior to their transition year. It provides more detailed information about the WDTA Blue Box program that operates in the community.
• Local municipalities and local services boards are not required to submit Change Reports to update information provided in their Initial or Transition Reports. Any changes should be addressed with Circular Materials in their role as the Administrator of the common collection system. Contact operations@circularmaterials.ca for more information.

These reports need to be completed by all eligible communities under the Blue Box Regulation.

An eligible community is a local municipality or local services board area that is not located in the Far North, or a reserve that is registered by a First Nation with the Authority and not located in the Far North.

• The Far North has the same meaning as in the Far North Act, 2010. To determine whether a community is in the Far North, use this link.
• A local municipality means a single-tier municipality or a lower-tier municipality. A local services board has the same meaning as “Board” in the Northern Services Boards Act.
• A First Nation means a council of the Band as referred to in subsection 2(1) of the Indian Act (Canada).

If you are an upper-tier municipality or waste association, these reports must be submitted separately for each eligible community in your program.

Visit the Municipal and First Nation webpages for more information.

Yes, all eligible communities must submit these reports to the Authority. The Datacall is the source of data for determining the net Blue Box system cost and for allocating funding under the Blue Box Program Plan. The Initial and Transition reports are for a separate and distinct program than Datacall and are required under the new Blue Box Regulation, which requires eligible communities to submit these reports.

While some of the required information in these reports was reported to Datacall, much of the information was not. Where there is overlap between what was reported to Datacall and the information that is required in these reports, please see the guidance below on where to find this information in your Datacall report.

First Nation communities interested in receiving producer-run Blue Box services must register with the Authority. To register, communities must submit contact information of the person responsible for waste management in the community using the First Nation community registration form. Once completed, the registration form should be submitted by email to registry@rpra.ca.

Visit our First Nation webpage for more information.

A First Nation’s transition date represents the earliest date that producers are required to provide the community with either Blue Box service or funding within the Blue Box program. Transition dates cannot be moved or changed.

A First Nation’s community name, reserve name(s) and transition date appearing on the transition schedule means it is an eligible community to receive Blue Box collection service or funding between July 1, 2023, and December 31, 2025. The transition schedule was amended for the last time on February 23, 2024. There will be no more additions to the transition schedule.

Related FAQs:

• ‘When will a First Nation that is registered in the Blue Box program start receiving service or funding?’
• ‘What do I do if my First Nation wants to join the Blue Box program but is not listed on the transition schedule?’

There is no requirement for a First Nation community to formally change its transition date. If a community is not ready to report and/or participate in the offer process with the PROs by the initial transition date or the date outlined in the Transition Schedule, the community can indicate that to RPRA and we will work with you and the PROs to track when your community is ready to move forward in the process.

If your community is south of the Far North boundary, you can complete the registration form and email it to registry@rpra.ca to express your community’s interest in participating in the producer-run Blue Box program. A Compliance Officer will reach out to you to discuss the reporting and offer process, confirm the information provided in the registration form, and answer any questions you may have.

Communities in this situation are eligible to receive recycling collection services starting January 1, 2026.

No, First Nations are not required to participate. First Nations can choose if the producer-run Blue Box system is the best option for their community. One of RPRA’s roles in overseeing the Blue Box program is to provide as much information as possible to support a community’s informed decision.

If your community is still undecided about whether or not to register, we encourage you to reach out to a Compliance Officer at registry@rpra.ca with your questions or to get more information.

All remote and fly-in First Nation communities can access the Hazardous Special Products (HSP, formerly known as Household Hazardous Waste) producer-run program.

All other producer-run recycling programs are only accessible to communities south of the Far North Boundary.

For more information about recycling programs in First Nation Communities, visit our Recycling in First Nation Communities webpage.

Also see our FAQ: ‘What is the Far North Boundary?’

If your First Nation is located south of the Far North and wants to join the Blue Box program, they first need to complete a registration form and submit it to registry@rpra.ca.

First Nations that are not listed on the transition schedule and have registered to participate in the Blue Box program are eligible to receive Blue Box collection service or funding starting January 1, 2026 at the earliest.

There are two steps that need to be completed for a First Nation to receive service or funding beginning on their requested transition date:

• The PRO, Circular Materials, must submit the offer through the Registry for the First Nation to sign six months before the transition date.
• The First Nation must sign the offer three months before the transition date.

If these two steps are not completed by the required timelines, service or funding will begin three months after the offer is signed by the First Nation.

Under the Blue Box Regulation which came into effect on July 1, 2023, eligible locations for collection within the producer-run program include:

• Private residences
• Public and private schools
• Elders’ lodges
• Not-for-profit retirement homes
• Not-for-profit long-term care facilities

Note: Commercial properties are not eligible for collection under the producer-run Blue Box program.

Under the Blue Box Regulation which came into effect on July 1, 2023, eligible locations for collection in a First Nation community include:

• Private residences
• Public and private schools
• Elders’ lodges (or retirement homes)
• Not-for-profit long-term care facilities

Locations that are not eligible for Blue Box collection or funding under this program include:

• Commercial properties
• Band owned and operated facilities such as daycares or community, wellness, cultural and language centres.
  • Note: Although costs of collection from these properties are not covered under the Blue Box system, First Nations can apply for Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) funding to support these costs. Please speak to your region’s ISC officer for more information on how to apply.

If First Nation communities, municipalities or other collection site operators want to collect used HSP as a service to customers or residents, they need to ensure their sites are included in a producer’s collection network.

Most producers will be working with service providers, such as PROs, processors or haulers to operate their collection networks. To join a collection network, First Nation communities, municipalities, and collection site operators should contact a service provider registered with RPRA. View the list of registered service providers here.

Municipalities and First Nations communities can also hold collection events. Collection events are typically one to two day events where members of the public or community can drop off materials such as HSP. These communities should contact a service provider if they are interested in providing these services to their residents.

All municipalities, territorial districts and First Nation communities can contact producers or PROs to arrange a pickup once they collect a specific amount of HSP material. The minimum amount required for pickup differs by category. For further information about this option, please see our Recycling in First Nation Communities page.