Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ filtered results:

Program: Batteries

Topic: Producer , Registry , Reporting
For the purposes of battery supply reporting verification:

“Large single-use battery producer” means a battery producer with a minimum management requirement greater than or equal to 50,000 kilograms of single-use batteries in the previous calendar year.

“Large rechargeable battery producer” means a battery producer with a minimum management requirement greater than or equal to 5,000 kilograms of rechargeable batteries in the previous calendar year.

To view your management requirements, log into your Registry account, download a copy of your previous year’s Supply Report and review the section with your minimum management requirements for your reporting year.

Beginning in 2023, only large producers are required to submit a Supply Data Verification Report. Small producers will no longer be required to submit a verification report but will be subject to inspections. Review the Registry Procedure – Verification and Audit for more information.
Program: Batteries

Topic: Producer , Registration

A battery producer qualifies for an exemption if its management requirement is less than 1.25 tonnes of rechargeable batteries or less than 2.5 tonnes of single-use batteries. A producer’s management requirement is calculated as a percentage of the weight of batteries supplied into Ontario in a specific period. This calculation changes each year, and therefore producers should verify whether they qualify for an exemption annually.

For information about how to calculate your management requirement, refer to our FAQ, How are battery producer minimum management requirements determined?

A producer who meets the weight exemption is not required to register or report, they must retain records related to the weight of single-use and rechargeable batteries they supplied into Ontario each year and provide them to the Authority on request.

Producers who want to confirm their status as an exempt producer should contact the Compliance Team at registry@rpra.ca or 833-600-0530.
Program: Batteries

Topic: Producer , Registration , Reporting

There is no audit verification requirement for the first two supply data reports submitted to the Authority. Therefore, data submitted for single-use batteries supplied in 2018, 2019, and 2020, as well as rechargeable batteries supplied in 2018 and 2019 will not have to be verified in accordance with the Registry Procedure – Verification and Audit.

As shown in the table below, under section 15 of the Battery Regulation, the first supply data report for which there are audit and verification requirements will be submitted in 2022. This supply data report is for single-use batteries supplied in 2021 and rechargeable batteries supplied in 2020.
Program: Batteries

Topic: Producer , Registration
You are considered a battery producer under the Batteries Regulation if you market batteries into Ontario and meet the following requirements:

Are the brand holder of the battery and have residency in Canada;

If there is no resident brand holder, have residency in Ontario and import batteries from outside of Ontario;

If there is no resident importer, have residency in Ontario and markets directly to consumers in Ontario (e.g., online sales); or

If there is no resident marketer, does not have residency in Ontario and markets directly to consumers in Ontario (e.g., online sales).

Even if you do not meet the above definition, there may be circumstances where you qualify as a producer. Read the Batteries Regulation for more detail or contact the Compliance and Registry Team for guidance at registry@rpra.ca or (647) 496-0530 or toll-free at (833) 600-0530.
Program: Batteries , Blue Box , Hazardous and Special Products , ITT/AV , Lighting , Tires

Topic: Producer , Registration , Registry , Reporting , RPRA Program and Registry Fees

Producers are obligated parties under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act and are ultimately responsible for their data submitted through RPRA’s Registry. Producers can choose to contract with an external consultant to support their data submission, but third parties have limited permissions in the Registry as they are not regulated parties.

A producer can choose to assign a primary or secondary user profile in their Registry account to an external consultant. An external consultant may submit supply data reports and/or pay registry fees on the producer’s behalf.

External consultants cannot submit and/or sign registration, executive attestations, account admin changes or supply data adjustment documentation on behalf of a producer. External consultants cannot be account admins, nor can they manage a PRO within the Registry on behalf of a producer.
Program: Batteries

Topic: Producer , Registration , Registry , Reporting
Producers of batteries need to provide the following information when registering in RPRA’s Registry:

Business information (e.g. business name, contact information)

The year you began marketing or selling batteries into Ontario

Any PROs you are contracted with

Your annual Supply Report
Program: Batteries , Blue Box , Hazardous and Special Products , ITT/AV , Lighting , Tires

Topic: Producer

No, where a producer is exempt, the regulatory obligations do not become the responsibility of the organization that is next in the producer hierarchy. The exempt producer remains the “producer” for those materials; they are just exempt from certain requirements under the regulation as set out in the relevant provisions providing for the exemption. This is the case in all RRCEA regulations.
Program: Batteries , Blue Box , Hazardous and Special Products , ITT/AV , Lighting , Tires

Topic: Collection systems , Producer

Yes, a producer, a PRO (producer responsibility organization) on behalf of a producer, or a service provider on behalf of either party, can collect any product or material (including materials or products that are not designated under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 (RRCEA)). For example, a battery producer may choose to collect batteries that weigh over 5kg; a tire producer may choose to collect bicycle tires; or a Blue Box producer may choose to collect books.

Products or materials that are not designated under RRCEA regulations cannot be counted towards meeting a producer’s collection or management requirements under RRCEA.

If designated materials are co-collected with materials that are not designated, a person must use a methodology or process acceptable to the Authority to account for those materials. Anyone considering this can contact the Compliance Team to discuss at registry@rpra.ca or 833-600-0530.

For example, if bicycle tires are collected at the same time as automotive tires, they must be accounted for separately both when collected and when sent to a processor.
Program: Batteries , Blue Box , Hazardous and Special Products , ITT/AV , Lighting , Tires

Topic: PRO , Producer , Reporting

A producer can grant access to anyone they would like to authorize in their reporting (i.e. Registry) portal. Producer reporting must be done in the producer account and batch data transfers are not accepted.
Program: Batteries , Blue Box , ITT/AV , Lighting

Topic: Management activities , Producer

In determining whether an obligated producer used best efforts to meet their management requirements, the Compliance Team will consider whether the producer, acting in good faith, took all reasonable steps to meet the requirements outlined in the applicable regulation.

For example, best efforts in the context of management requirements may involve a producer regularly monitoring the volume of material being collected and managed, and implementing plans for increasing those volumes if the requirements are unlikely to be met.

Producers can contact the Compliance Team to ask specific questions about fulfilling their obligations.