Frequently Asked Questions

A producer’s management requirement is how much Blue Box material they must ensure is collected and processed into recovered resources each year. Management requirements are calculated based on what they supplied into Ontario one year prior and the resource recovery percentage as set in the regulation. A producer’s management requirement is calculated separately for each Blue Box material category (beverage container, glass, flexible plastic, rigid plastic, metal and paper).

Some producer are exempt from having a management requirement based on their supply data, for more information on exemptions see the FAQ Are there exemptions for Blue Box producers? A producer that does not have a management requirement does not have any collection, management or promotion and education obligations.

A producer with a management requirement must also provide collection and promotion and education services in Ontario. Most producers will contract the services of a producer responsibility organization (PRO) to meet their collection, management and promotion and education obligations.

To view your management requirement(s), log into your registry account, download a copy of your Blue Box Supply Report and review the section with your minimum management requirements. Management requirement for a given year are determine by supply data from two years prior. For example, 2023 management requirements were based on 2021 supply data (submitted in producers’ 2022 Supply Report).

Unsure if you are a Blue Box producer? See our FAQs Am I a producer of Blue Box product packaging? And Am I a producer of paper products and packaging-like products?

No, producers are not required to sign up with a PRO to meet their regulatory requirements. It is a business decision if a producer chooses to work with a PRO, and a producer can choose to meet their obligations without a PRO.

Most producers will choose to contract with a PRO to provide collection, hauling, processing, retreading and/or refurbishing services to achieve their collection and management requirements unless they carry out these activities themselves.

As of October 1, 2021, producers, or PROs acting on their behalf, are required to establish and operate a system for managing HSP by satisfying their management requirements as follows:

• All oil containers, antifreeze, refillable pressurized containers, solvents, paints and coatings picked up from a collection site must be processed within three months from the date of the pickup
• Producers of pesticides must ensure that pesticides are properly disposed of at an HSP disposal facility registered with the Authority no later than three months after the day the pesticides are collected
• Producers must ensure that materials are processed by an HSP processor registered with the Authority. On and after January 1, 2023, producers or PROs on behalf of producers shall ensure that the HSP is processed by an HSP processor at a facility in respect of which the HSP processor reported an average recycling efficiency rate for that type of HSP that is at least the percentage set out in the table below

Producers of fertilizers have no management requirements.

Producers of refillable propane containers have no management requirements.

A producer’s individual management requirement is determined by formulas found in section 13 of the Regulation. See the table below for details:

*For reports submitted in 2024, producers should use RPRA’s manual calculator.

It is important to note that producers must ensure that all collected batteries are managed, regardless of what their minimum management requirement is.

Note: Producers with a management requirement below a certain threshold may be exempt from registering with and reporting to RPRA.

See our FAQ ‘How do I determine if I am an exempt battery producer?’ to learn more.

A producer’s individual minimum management requirement is determined by the following formulas, found in section 14 of the Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) Regulation, summarized in the following chart:

It is important to note that producers must ensure that all lighting that is collected is managed, regardless of their minimum management requirement.

Note: Producers with a management requirement below a certain threshold may be exempt from registering with and reporting to RPRA. See our FAQ ‘How do I determine if I am an exempt lighting producer?’ to learn more.

Effective for the 2025 calendar year, and every year thereafter, producers no longer have collection targets and do not have to collect a minimum weight of used tires.

A producer’s individual management requirement is determined by formulas found in section 12 of the Regulation. See the tables below for details:

Management requirements for all tires

Management requirements for large tires

*For reports submitted in 2024, producers should use RPRA’s manual calculator.

It is important to note that producers must ensure that all collected tires are managed, regardless of what their minimum management requirement is.

Note: Producers with a management requirement below a certain threshold may be exempt from registering with and reporting to RPRA.

See our FAQ ‘How do I determine if I am an exempt tire producer?’ to learn more.

No. Producers and PROs working on their behalf must operate the collection systems they have established as required by the Regulation even after their requirements are met. If a consumer is refused permission to drop off materials at a registered collection site, they can contact the Compliance and Registry Team at registry@rpra.ca, 647-496-0530 or toll-free at 1-833-600-0530.

As of October 1, 2021, producers, or PROs acting on their behalf, are required to establish and operate a management system and must:

• process all oil filters and non-refillable pressurized containers picked up from a collection site within three months from the date of the pickup
• ensure that materials are processed by an HSP processor registered with the Authority that has achieved the minimum recycling efficiency rate (RER)

Beginning January 1, 2022, producers are required to recover an amount of material based on their average supply into Ontario and report on it starting in 2023. For the purposes of accounting for a weight of recovered resources from oil filters and/or non-refillable pressurized containers with respect to 2022, a producer may count the weight of recovered resources from that type of HSP from October 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022.

Yes, any tire type collected and managed within a collection system can be used to meet a producer’s management requirement.

Producers who supplied large tires have to ensure that large tires recovered equals at least 60 per cent of their average weight of supply.

As of January 1, 2023, lighting producers are required to establish and operate a lighting collection system that meets the accessibility requirements in the EEE Regulation. A producer must ensure that all lighting collected is managed regardless of what their minimum management requirements is.

A producer has the choice of establishing and operating their own collection and management systems or working with one or more producer responsibility organizations (PROs) registered with the Authority to meet their obligations.

For detailed information on lighting producer requirements, visit our Lighting Producer webpage.

If you have further questions about lighting producer requirements, contact the Compliance and Registry Team at registry@rpra.ca or 1-833-600-0530.

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.

As of July 1, 2020, producers are required to establish and operate a collection system for batteries that meets the accessibility requirements in the regulation. Producers must ensure that all batteries collected are managed regardless of their minimum management requirements.

For producers to meet their obligations, they have the choice of establishing and operating their own collection and management system or working with one or more producer responsibility organizations (PROs) that are registered with the Authority.

Please contact the Compliance Team at 833-600-0530 or registry@rpra.ca to discuss other requirements under the Batteries Regulation.

As of January 1, 2021, producers are required to establish and operate a collection system for ITT/AV that meets the accessibility requirements in the regulation. Producers must ensure that all ITT/AV collected is managed regardless of what their minimum management requirements are.

Producers have the choice of establishing and operating their own collection and management systems or working with one or more producer responsibility organizations (PROs) registered with the Authority to meet their obligations.

Please contact the Compliance Team at 833-600-0530 or registry@rpra.ca to discuss other requirements under the EEE Regulation.

As an obligated Blue Box producer, you are required to:

• Register with RPRA
• Report supply data to RPRA annually
• Meet mandatory and enforceable requirements for Blue Box collection systems
• Meet mandatory and enforceable requirements for managing collected Blue Box materials, including meeting a management requirement set out in the regulation
• Meet mandatory and enforceable requirements for promotion and education
• Provide third-party audits of actions taken towards meeting your collection and management requirements, and report on those actions to RPRA through annual performance reports

A battery producer qualifies for an exemption if their average weight of supply for that calendar year is:

• Less than or equal to 2,500 kg of rechargeable batteries, or
• Less than or equal to 5,000 kg of primary batteries.

Average supply weight is determined using the following formula:

Average weight of rechargeable batteries = (Y3 + Y4 + Y5) / 3

• Eg. 2025 average weight of supply = (2022 + 2021 + 2020) / 3

Average weight of primary batteries = (Y2 + Y3 + Y4) / 3

• Eg. 2025 average weight of supply = (2023 + 2022 + 2021) / 3

Battery producers that meet the exemption criteria are exempt from:

• Registering and reporting to RPRA.
• Establishing a collection and management system.
• Meeting management requirements.
• Promotion and education requirements.

Producers must verify that they continue to meet the exemption annually, since their average weight of supply will change from year to year.

Exempt producers must keep records related to the weight of batteries (by category) supplied into Ontario each year and provide them to RPRA upon request.

Producers are advised to confirm their exemption with the Compliance Team at 833-600-0530 or registry@rpra.ca.

Also see our FAQ: ‘How are battery producers’ minimum management requirements determined?‘

An alternative collection system is one of three types of collection and management systems for Blue Box materials. Producers can choose to establish or participate in an alternative collection system to meet their collection, management, and promotion and education requirements under the Blue Box Regulation.

An alternative collection system can be established by one or more producers or PROs. The system must demonstrate that it can meet all system regulatory requirements as well as the minimum management requirements for participating producer(s). A producer can choose to meet their obligations using an alternative collection system instead of participating in the common collection system.

Types of alternative collection systems may vary and can include depot or return-by-mail systems. Alternative collection systems must service all eligible communities south of Ontario’s Far North.

For more information on alternative collection system registration criteria, please reach out to registry@rpra.ca.

Also see: ‘What is the Blue Box common collection system?’, ‘What is a Blue Box supplemental collection system?’

Free riders are obligated parties that:

• Have not registered or reported to RPRA
• Have not established a collection and management system (if they are so required to), or;
• Are not operating a collection and management system (if they are so required to).

See our FAQs to understand “What is RPRA’s approach to free riders?”, and “What do I do if I think a business is a free rider?”

To note:

• Some producers only have requirements to register and report. Please refer to your specific program page on our website to understand producer obligations.
• Collection and management systems may be accomplished by a producer responsibility organization (PRO) on behalf of a producer through contractual arrangements between the producer and PRO. If a PRO is managing a producer’s collection and management requirements, producers must identify that PRO to RPRA.

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.

Under the Blue Box Regulation, there are three types of exemptions that apply to producers:

1. Based on a producer’s gross annual revenue,
2. based on the weight of Blue Box materials supplied into Ontario, and
3. for producers of newspaper

1. Any producer whose gross annual Ontario revenue from products and services is less than $2,000,000 is exempt from all producer requirements under the regulation. In the case where the producer is a franchisor, it is the gross annual revenue of the system that is used to determine if an exemption applies.

Any producer who meets the exemption must keep any records that demonstrate its gross annual Ontario revenue is less than $2,000,000 in a paper or electronic format that can be examined or accessed in Ontario for a period of five years from the date of creation.

See our FAQs to understand what revenues municipalities and registered charities should consider when determining whether or not they are an exempt producer.

2. A producer who is above the revenue-based exemption level may still be exempt from performance requirements (collection, management and promotion and education) if their supply weight is below the exemption levels outlined in the table below.

If a producer’s annual revenue is more than $2,000,000 and supply weight in all material categories is less than the tonnage exemption threshold, the producer is required to register and report.

If a producer’s annual revenue is more than $2,000,000 and supply weight in at least one material category is above the tonnage exemption threshold, the producer is required to meet all obligations (registration, reporting, collection, management, and promotion and education). However, producers are only required to meet their minimum management requirement in material categories where they are above the exemption level.

3. As outlined in the amended Blue Box Regulation (released April 19, 2022), producers of newspapers may be exempt from collection, management, and promotion and education requirements. For the purposes of this exemption, “newspapers” includes newspapers and any protective wrapping and any supplemental advertisements and inserts that are provided along with the newspapers.

For a producer to qualify for this exemption, newspapers must account for more than 70% of their total weight of Blue Box materials supplied to consumers in Ontario in a calendar year. If exempt, the producer is not required to meet collection, management, and promotion and education requirements for all Blue Box materials they supply in Ontario in the following two calendar years.

A producer whose newspaper supply accounts for 70% or less of their total weight of Blue Box materials is subject to collection, management, and promotion and education requirements for all Blue Box materials they supply in Ontario.

Producers shall ensure that, no later than three months after the day the material is collected, the HSP is processed by an HSP processor who is registered with RPRA.

On and after January 1, 2023, producers or PROs on behalf of producers shall ensure that the HSP is processed by an HSP processor at a facility in respect of which the HSP processor reported an average recycling efficiency rate for that type of HSP that is at least the percentage set out in the table below.

If a producer is exempt in accordance with the chart below, the producer is exempt from the following requirements:

1. Registration with RPRA
2. Requirements related to setting up or operating a collection system
3. Management requirements
4. Promotion and education requirements

Producer categories use the average weight of material (in tonnes) supplied in Ontario in the three previous calendar years. If you have questions on how to calculate your average weight of supply, contact the Registry Support Team at registry@rpra.ca.

A lighting producer qualifies for an exemption if their average weight of supply for that calendar year is less than or equal to 700 kg.

Average supply weight is determined using the following formula:

Average weight of lighting supply = (Y3 + Y4 + Y5) / 3 

Eg. 2025 average weight of supply = (2022 + 2021 + 2020) / 3 

Lighting producers that meet the exemption criteria are exempt from:

• Registering with and reporting to RPRA
• Establishing a collection and management system
• Meeting a management requirement
• Promotion and education requirements

Producers must verify that they continue to meet the exemption annually, since their average weight of supply will change from year to year.

Producers that are exempt must keep records of the materials they supplied, as set out in section 30 of the regulation.

Producers are advised to confirm their exemption with the Compliance Team at 833-600-0530 or registry@rpra.ca.

See our FAQs: “How are lighting producers’ minimum management requirements determined?” and “What do I have to do if I am an exempt lighting producer?”

For the purposes of ITT/AV supply reporting verification:

• “Large ITT/AV producer” means an ITT/AV producer with a minimum management requirement greater than or equal to 200,000 kilograms 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.

A supplemental collection system is one of three types of collection and management systems that producers can choose to establish or participate in to contribute to their collection, management, and promotion and education requirements under the Blue Box Regulation.

Supplemental collection systems are not required to service all eligible communities south of Ontario’s Far North. Therefore, a producer participating in this type of system is still required to participate in the common collection system to meet their obligation to collect and manage Blue Box materials from all eligible communities, and to provide a promotion and education program.

One or more producers or PROs can establish a supplemental collection system. If a producer or PRO wishes to use a supplemental collection system’s collected materials towards producer minimum management requirements, that system should register with RPRA.

For more information on supplemental collection system registration criteria, please reach out to registry@rpra.ca.

Also see: ‘What is the Blue Box common collection system?’, ‘What is a Blue Box alternative collection system?’

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.

Producer supply data is used to calculate their individual minimum management requirements under the Batteries Regulation.

To learn how calculations are formulated, visit the FAQ How are battery producer minimum management requirements determined?

Producer supply data is used to calculate their individual minimum management requirements under the EEE Regulation.

To learn how calculations are formulated, visit the FAQ How are ITT/AV producer minimum management requirements determined?

Operators of tire collection sites will have to independently enter into commercial agreements with producers or producer responsibility organizations (PROs) to secure tire collection services. As long as a collection site is part of a producer’s tire collection system, the producer, or their PRO, is obligated to ensure tires are picked up from that site.

Since producers have legal obligations under the Tires Regulation, producers, or their PROs, will need tires to meet their management requirements. While tire collectors (i.e., operator of collection sits) are no longer required to register with RPRA, the collection site must be part of a producer’s collection system for the tires to count toward a producer’s management requirements

A list of registered PROs and producers is available on RPRA’s website on the Find a registrant page.

The Manage PRO option will appear on the dashboard below your list of supply data reports when your supply data reporting is complete and if you have management requirements. If your supply data reporting is below the supply exemption threshold you will not have management requirements, and therefore not need to assign a PRO to assist with your obligations.

Also note that Account Admin are the only portal users that can manage your PRO’s responsibility, so this widget is not viewable to primary and secondary users.

The common collection system is the Blue Box material collection and management system established by PROs on behalf of producers. Blue Box materials that are picked up through curbside residential collection, for instance, are processed through the common collection system. The system came into effect on July 1, 2023, as outlined in the Blue Box Regulation. The common collection system services all eligible communities south of Ontario’s Far North.

It is one of three types of collection and management systems that producers can choose to use to meet their minimum management requirements. Producers who use the common collection system to meet their obligations will contract with a PRO that is participating in the common collection system.

A high-level overview of the common collection system was provided by PROs Circular Materials and Ryse Solutions Ontario in 2022 in their Initial Blue Box Report.

Also see: ‘What is a Blue Box Alternative collection system?’, ‘What is a Blue Box supplemental collection system?’

As an obligated HSP producer, you are required to:

• register and report annual supply and performance data of obligated materials
• meet mandatory and enforceable requirements for collection and management
• meet mandatory and enforceable requirements for promotion and education
• meet mandatory and enforceable requirements for auditing, verification, and record keeping

These requirements vary based on material type and amount of material the producer supplies.

Yes, there are some key changes to the data reported to Stewardship Ontario and what needs to be reported under the new regulation, which may affect what a producer is obligated for and should be considered if using data previously reported to Stewardship Ontario:

• There are fewer reporting categories than under the Stewardship Ontario program
• Certified compostable packaging and products now must be reported separately, but this category does not have management requirements
• There are only two deductions permitted under the Blue Box Regulation, and producers must report total supply and then report any weight to be deducted separately
• Exemptions are based on tonnage supply under each material category instead of a total supply weight threshold of less than 15 tonnes as in Stewardship Ontario’s program

See our FAQ to understand “What deductions are available to producers under the Blue Box Regulation?”; “Are there exemptions for Blue Box producers?“; “Are there any differences in Blue Box producer hierarchies between the current Stewardship Ontario program and the new Blue Box Regulation?”; and “Are there are any differences in obligated Blue Box materials between the current Stewardship Ontario program and the new Blue Box Regulation?”

Producers are not required to collect and manage their own branded products and materials. Instead, a producer is expected to collect and manage a portion of similar materials in Ontario. The portion of material that a producer collects and manages is known as their minimum management requirement. A minimum management requirement, which is set based on calculations outlined in the applicable Regulation, is the weight of the products or packaging that the producer must ensure is collected and managed. The calculated amount is proportionate to the weight of materials that producer supplied into the province.

For example, a producer who supplied laptops into Ontario does not need to collect and manage their own branded laptops. Instead, they must ensure that they collect and manage an equivalent weight of information technology, telecommunications, and audio-visual equipment (ITT/AV) materials.

Similarly, a producer who supplied cardboard boxes into Ontario does not need to collect and manage those exact cardboard boxes. Rather, they need to ensure that an equivalent weight of paper is collected and managed.

Almost all producers will work with producer responsibility organizations (PROs) for the purposes of meeting their obligations to collect and manage materials. PROs establish collection and management systems across Ontario for different material types. A producer can meet their obligations to collect and manage materials by entering into a contract with a PRO to provide these services on their behalf.

In December 2022, the Government of Ontario finalized amendments to O. Reg. 406/19: On-Site and Excess Soil Regulation (Excess Soil Regulation) and the Rules for Soil Management and Excess Soil Quality Standards (Soil Rules), which came into effect January 1, 2023.

If a project triggers the filing requirements under the Excess Soil Regulation, the process for filing notices has not changed.
However, the amended regulation may affect the types of projects for which a notice is required to be filed through the Excess Soil Registry.

The two key amendments made to the regulation mean:

• Reuse planning requirements are not triggered for projects defined as “low-risk project areas”, being a property at which the current or last property use was agricultural or other, residential, parkland or institutional (as defined under O. Reg. 153/04), that would otherwise have been triggered to complete reuse planning requirements as a result of being located within an area of settlement and removing at least 2,000m3 of excess soil. Other triggers for reuse planning may still apply.
• The limit on the maximum size of soil storage piles (previously 2,500 m3) has been removed. Other soil storage rules would continue to apply, including the requirement to prevent any adverse effects.

If you have questions about the Excess Soil Regulation or the amendments, contact the ministry at MECP.LandPolicy@ontario.ca.

See our FAQ to see “Who needs to file notices?”

A volunteer organization is a person who:

• Is a brand holder who owns a brand that is used in respect of batteries or EEE;
• Is not a resident in Canada;
• Has registered with the Authority; and
• Has entered into a written agreement with a producer for the purpose of carrying out one or more producer responsibilities.

A volunteer organization is not a producer but can take on the registration and reporting responsibilities for producers in relation to its brand. Under the Regulation, producers remain responsible for meeting their management requirements and cannot pass off their obligations through voluntary remitter agreements or any other commercial agreement.

Any brand holder or producer who is interested in making any agreement as indicated (or described) above, should contact the Compliance Team at registry@rpra.ca, 647-496-0530 or toll-free at 1-833-600-0530.

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.

Yes, a Blue Box producer or PRO (producer responsibility organization) on behalf of a producer, or a service provider on behalf of either party, can voluntarily choose to collect Blue Box materials that are not marketed to consumers.

Blue Box materials not marketed to consumers cannot be counted towards meeting a producer’s collection or management requirements under the Blue Box Regulation.

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

For example, if Blue Box materials supplied to a consumer in Ontario are collected along the same collection route as Blue Box materials that were not supplied to a consumer, they must be accounted for separately. When those materials are then sent to a processor, they must also be accounted for separately.

See the FAQ: Who is a consumer under the Blue Box Regulation?

A newspaper producer is a person who supplies newspapers to consumers in Ontario. For the purpose of the Blue Box Regulation, newspapers include broadsheet, tabloid or free newspaper. For further information, see the FAQ: What is a newspaper?

Note that a producer of supplemental advertisements or flyers that are supplied with a newspaper would not be considered a newspaper producer as they do not supply the actual broadsheet, tabloid, or free newspaper. This producer cannot use the newspaper exemption percentage to be exempt from Blue Box collection and management requirements. See the FAQ: Are there exemptions for Blue Box producers?

In December 2019, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (the ministry) released a regulation under the Environmental Protection Act, titled “On-Site and Excess Soil Management” (the regulation) to support improved management of Excess Soil.

This regulation supports proper management of Excess Soils, ensuring valuable resources don’t go to waste and to provide clear rules on managing and reusing Excess Soil. Risk-based standards referenced by this regulation help to facilitate local beneficial reuse promote reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from soil transportation, while ensuring strong protection of human health and the environment. The risk-based standards can be found in the document adopted by reference under this regulation, Rules for Soil Management and Excess Soil Quality Standards.

An exempt producer is not required to:

• Register and report to RPRA
• Establish a collection and management system
• Meet a management requirement
• Meet promotion and education requirements

Exempt producers must retain records related to the weight of lighting supplied into Ontario each year and provide them to RPRA upon request.

See our FAQ: ‘How do I determine if I am an exempt lighting producer?’

A producer responsibility organization (PRO) is a business established to contract with producers to provide collection, management, and administrative services to help producers meet their regulatory obligations under the Regulation, including:

• Arranging the establishment or operation of collection and management systems (hauling, recycling, reuse, or refurbishment services)
• Establishing or operating a collection or management system
• Preparing and submitting reports

PROs operate in a competitive market and producers can choose the PRO (or PROs) they want to work with. The terms and conditions of each contract with a PRO may vary.

Individual Producer Responsibility (IPR) means that producers are responsible and accountable for collecting and managing their products and packaging after consumers have finished using them.

For programs under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 (RRCEA), producers are directly responsible and accountable for meeting mandatory collection and recycling requirements for end of life products. With IPR, producers have choice in how they meet their requirements. They can collect and recycle the products themselves, or contract with producer responsibility organizations (PROs) to help them meet their requirements.

Consumer protection laws in Ontario prohibits the misrepresentation of charges, which means that producers or retailers cannot misrepresent any visible fees as a regulatory charge, tax, RPRA fee or something similar. Consumers who have questions or concerns about a specific transaction or want to report a misrepresentation can contact the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery at 1-800-889-9768.

As of March 2023, the promotion and education requirements related to environmental fees have been removed from the Tires, Batteries, Electrical and Electronic Equipment, and Hazardous and Special Products regulations. No changes were made to the Blue Box Regulation as it never contained promotion and education requirements related to these fees.

RPRA’s compliance bulletin Charging Tire Fees to Consumers has since been revoked and RPRA has ceased its enforcement of promotion and education requirements for visible fees across all materials.

In the HWP Registry, users will be able to access, download and print a PDF version of their manifest. RPRA has worked with Transport Canada to ensure the printable PDF complies with the Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) requirements in most cases.   

For more information about your TDG requirements, visit: https://tc.canada.ca/en/dangerous-goods/transportation-dangerous-goods-canada.

On April 21, 2022, the Ontario Government announced a temporary suspension of the registration and reporting requirements under the Excess Soil Regulation. The requirements were suspended until January 1, 2023. The Excess Soil Registry remained open for users during the pause.

As of January 1, construction and development Project Leaders and Operators/Owners of soil Reuse Sites and Residential Development Soil Depot sites are required to register and file notices about how they reuse and dispose of excess soil in Ontario through RPRA’s Excess Soil Registry.

No. RPRA is the regulator for the purposes of the new EEE Regulation. Producers and PROs are required to register with RPRA and meet the mandatory performance and reporting requirements under the regulation. RPRA is responsible for overseeing compliance with the regulation and has a range of enforcement tools that include compliance orders, administrative penalties, and prosecutions.

As a regulator, RPRA will not provide collection and management services. Instead, producers will be served by a competitive market comprised of processors, refurbishers, haulers, and PROs. Producers can contract with PROs to meet their obligations under the EEE Regulation, but producers will always remain responsible for meeting those requirements regardless of who they contract with.

For most producers and for all municipalities, little has changed:

1. Rule creators and the rule creation process, including the allocation table, have been removed. Instead, each producer is responsible for providing Blue Box collection to every eligible source in Ontario and creating a province-wide system for collection.
2. Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) are now required to submit a report to RPRA on how they will operate the Blue Box system on behalf of producers.
3. Newspaper producers whose newspaper supply accounts for more than 70% of their total Blue Box supply to consumers in Ontario are exempt from collection, management, and promotion and education requirements.

The amendments do not change or impact:

• Producer registration or 2020 supply data reporting to RPRA
• Most producers’ 2021 supply data reporting to RPRA
• The materials collected in the Blue Box system
• The communities that receive collection or the collection requirements
• The transition schedule and its timelines

Yes, producers are legally required to register and report to RPRA. There are some differences between which materials were reported to Stewardship Ontario as a steward and what must now be reported to RPRA as a producer. Differences include:

• newly obligated materials
• brand holder in Canada now obligated (rather than Ontario)
• producer must report total supply, and then report any weight to be deducted separately.

During transition years, stewards must meet their requirements (e.g., paying fees to Stewardship Ontario) under the Blue Box Program Plan and the WDTA. Producers also have requirements under the new Blue Box Regulation and the RRCEA, which includes registering, reporting, paying their program fee to RPRA and establishing collection, management and promotion and education systems for Blue Box materials.

An ITT/AV producer qualifies for an exemption if their average weight of supply for that calendar year is less than or equal to 5,000 kg.

Average supply weight is determined using the following formula:

Average weight of ITT/AV supply = (Y3 + Y4 + Y5) / 3 

Eg. 2025 average weight of supply = (2022 + 2021 + 2020) / 3 

ITT/AV producers that meet the exemption criteria are exempt from:

• Registering and reporting to RPRA
• Establishing a collection and management system
• Meeting a management requirement
• Promotion and education requirements

Producers must verify that they continue to meet the exemption annually, since their average weight of supply will change from year to year.

Exempt producers must keep records related to the weight of ITT/AV supplied into Ontario each year and provide them to the RPRA upon request.

Producers are advised to confirm their exemption with the Compliance Team at 833-600-0530 or registry@rpra.ca.

Producers of every type of HSP are required to keep records for a period of five years from the date of the record being created.

Producers must keep records that relate to the following:

• arranging for the establishment or operation of a collection or management system
• establishing or operating a collection or management system
• information required to be submitted to the Authority through the Registry
• implementing a promotion and education program
• weight of each type of HSP within each applicable category of HSP supplied to consumers in Ontario, regardless of whether information about the weight was required to be submitted to the Authority
• any agreements that relate to the above records

If a receiver receives a shipment with a shipment date in the 2023 calendar year that has an accompanying paper manifest and they have not been notified by the generator or carrier that there is permission to submit paper for that particular shipment, they should contact the generator and/or carrier to explain that the shipment needs to be completed through RPRA’s new Hazardous Waste Program Registry. The paper manifest would not be accepted by the ministry and does not meet the regulatory requirements under the amended Regulation 347: General – Waste Management. Starting January 1, 2023, reporting on waste management activities, including manifesting, is to be completed through RPRA’s new digital registry. 

Note that there may be an exceptional and rare circumstance where a generator has received approval from the ministry to submit paper manifests to the ministry for a time-limited period. The generator or carrier should make the receiver aware of this undue hardship approval. This undue hardship provision is outlined in section 27.1 (1) of Regulation 347 that will take effect January 1, 2023. In this exceptional circumstance, the 2023 shipment can proceed through a paper manifest. 

More information about the program and the associated regulations is available through the following resources:

• The ministry’s Hazardous Waste Management webpage: https://www.ontario.ca/page/hazardous-waste-management-business-and-industry
• The revised Registration Guidance Manual for Generators of Liquid Industrial and Hazardous Waste.
• Regulation 347: General – Waste Management under the Environmental Protection Act: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/900347
• Ontario Regulation 323/22: Subject Waste Program under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r22323

With the removal of the rule creation process and allocation table as the tools to create and maintain the Blue Box collection system, the amended regulation now requires producer responsibility organizations (PROs) to submit a report that outlines how they will operate the Blue Box collection system on behalf of producers, ensuring that materials are collected from all eligible communities (i.e., communities outside of the Far North) across the province.

Circular Materials Ontario and Ryse Solutions Ontario PROs submitted a Blue Box PRO initial report to RPRA on July 1, 2022, that provides the following information:

• A description of how they will comply with the collection requirements of the regulation, including any agreements between themselves and any other PRO
• A detailed description of how they will make collected Blue Box materials available for processing, how materials will be processed, and the expected location of receiving facilities in Ontario
• A description of how they will comply with the promotion and education requirements of the regulation

You can read the news release and the initial report here.

Yes, the entire weight of reused tires can be counted towards a producer’s management target.

See our FAQ: What does ‘reuse’ mean under the Tires Regulation?

Brand holders and producers that supply products and packaging are required by legislation to meet individual mandatory collection and resource recovery requirements and may face compliance and enforcement consequences for failing to do so. The executive attestation ensures that executives responsible for managing the brand holder’s or producer’s business are aware of these requirements and can ensure that appropriate measures are put in place to achieve compliance with the regulations.

Producers of fertilizers have no collection requirements.

Beginning October 1, 2021, producers are obligated to:

• establish and operate a promotion and education program starting in 2022
• provide information on their website about how consumers can use, share and properly dispose of fertilizer with local requirements
• create promotional and education materials that include:
  • The website URL
  • A description of how consumers can use, share and properly dispose of fertilizer
• solicit, consider feedback from, and make the promotional and education materials available to:
  • Indigenous communities
  • Municipal governments
  • Retailers that supply fertilizers
• provide information to municipalities on innovative end-use options for fertilizers as an alternative to disposal

There are no promotion or education requirements for producers of refillable pressurized containers.

There are no promotion or education requirements for producers of refillable propane containers.

No, users that filed notices in the Excess Soil Registry and paid the associated Registry fees before the temporary suspension came into effect on April 21, 2022, were complying with the necessary requirements of the regulation. Notices filed before the pause will continue to be recognized after January 1, 2023. No refunds will be issued.

Projects initiated in 2022 that have continued into 2023 and meet the requirements to file a notice will be required to file as of January 1, 2023. This means that if your project began in 2022 and you are still moving excess soil as of January 1, 2023, you may be subject to the filing requirements.

Read our FAQ to see “Who need to file notices?“

No. The rules in Regulation 347 related to who is responsible for reporting information about hazardous waste activities are not changing. Although generators can delegate service providers to submit all information on their behalf, the amended regulation makes clear that, “A generator who has entered into an agreement with a delegate through a written authorization remains responsible for meeting their requirements under this Regulation, including requirements to report, update and ensure the accuracy of all information submitted through the Registry.” 

RPRA has developed a library of resources to support Registry users navigate the online system and meet their regulatory requirements. RPRA consistently adds to this pool of resources based on upcoming requirements, emerging needs, and questions we receive from stakeholders.

View Registry resources for each program:

• Batteries
• Blue Box
• Hazardous and Special Products
• ITT/AV
• Lighting
• Tires
• Excess Soil Registry
• Hazardous Waste Program Registry

The Authority recognizes the commercially sensitive nature of the information that parties submit to the registry. The Authority is committed to protecting the commercially sensitive information and personal information it receives or creates in the course of conducting its regulatory functions. In recognition of this commitment, the Authority, in addition to the regulatory requirements of confidentiality set out in the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act 2016 (section 57), has created an Access and Privacy Code that applies to its day-to-day operations, including the regulatory functions that it carries out.

Obligated material supply, collection, and resource recovery data will only be made public in aggregate form, to protect the confidentiality of commercially sensitive information.

The Authority will publish the names and contact information of all registered businesses – producers, service providers (collectors, haulers, processors, etc.), and producer responsibility organizations. The public will also have access to a list or method to locate any obligated material collection sites, as this information becomes available.

As part of its regulatory mandate, the Registrar will provide information to the public related to compliance and enforcement activities that have been undertaken.

The information that is submitted to the Registry will be used by the Registrar to confirm compliance and to track overall collection and management system performance. It will also be used by the Authority to update its policies and procedures and by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks for policy development.

As required under the regulation, Project Leaders, Owners and Site Operators are required to use the Excess Soil Registry to file notices for certain Project Areas, Reuse Sites, and Residential Development Soil Depot sites where Excess Soil is generated, transported, temporarily placed, and deposited.

Project Leaders, Owners and Site Operators can also assign an Authorized Person to file a notice and pay fees in the Registry on their behalf.

Role definitions

Project Leader

In O. Reg. 406/19, the Project Leader means, in respect of a project, the person or persons who are ultimately responsible for making decisions relating to the planning and implementation of the project.

The Project Leader is responsible for ensuring that a Project Area Notice is filed if required. They must always complete and sign the required declarations that are a component of the notice being filed and pay Registry fees.

Owner

A person who owns the land, with an interest upon whose credit, behalf, privity or direct benefit an improvement is made to the premises.

For a Reuse Site or a Residential Development Soil Depot, an Operator may complete all aspects of the relevant notice filing in the Registry.

Operator

A person who has the charge, management, or control of a site. An Operator may be an owner of a property, lease a property or be contracted to operate a Project Area Site, Reuse Site or Residential Development Soil Depot.

For a Reuse Site or a Residential Development Soil Depot, an Operator may complete all aspects of the relevant notice filing in the Registry.

Authorized Person

A person who is authorized by the Project Leader, Owner, or Operator of a site, to complete a notice filing and pay fees on their behalf.

The Authorized Person can initiate a notice in the Registry if permitted to by the Project Leader, Owner, or Operator of a site, and can complete all required notice information and pay applicable fees on their behalf.

Qualified person (QP)

QPs under the regulation have the same meaning as section 5 and 6 of Ontario Regulation 153/04 (O. Reg. 153/04).

Section 5 of O. Reg. 153/04 defines a Qualified Person as professional engineers and geoscientists – these are the persons who may oversee or conduct environmental site assessments or complete certifications in a Record of Site Condition. Section 6 of O. Reg. 153/04 sets out the requirements for Qualified Persons who conduct or oversee a risk assessment.

A QP may be designated as an Authorized Person by the Project Leader or by an Owner/Operator to file a notice to the Excess Soil Registry on their behalf.

Beginning October 1, 2021, producers of oil filters and non-refillable pressurized containers, or PROs acting on their behalf, are required to establish and operate a promotion and education program including the following:

• promote their collection and management services with respect to the type of HSP they are obligated for
• provide the following information on a website with respect to that type of HSP:
  • the location of each HSP collection site established or operated by the producer that is accessible to the public and the types of HSP accepted at each site
  • the location and date of each HSP collection event held by the producer and the types of HSP accepted at each event
  • a description of the collection services provided by the producer, other than HSP collection sites and HSP collection events
  • a description of how the producer manages that type of HSP after it is collected
  • create promotional and educational materials with respect to that type of HSP that include the following:
    • the website URL
    • a description of how that type of HSP is collected and managed
  • the producer shall make the promotional and educational materials available to retailers that supply that type of HSP, municipal governments and Indigenous communities, and shall solicit and consider feedback on how the promotional and educational materials can be improved
  • the producer shall promote each HSP collection event for that type of HSP in the local municipality or territorial district where it will be held for at least one week prior to the date of the event using a combination of two or more forms of media, including but not limited to:
    • local print publications
    • local print media
    • local radio
    • local signage or social media

Beginning October 1, 2021, producers, or PROs acting on their behalf, of oil containers, antifreeze, pesticides, solvents, paints and coatings are required to establish and operate a promotion and education program including the following:

• Promote their collection and management services with respect to the type of HSP they are obligated for
• Provide the following information on a website with respect to that type of HSP:
  • the location of each HSP collection site established or operated by the producer that is accessible to the public and the types of HSP accepted at each site
  • the location and date of each HSP collection event held by the producer and the types of HSP accepted at each event
  • a description of the collection services provided by the producer, other than HSP collection sites and HSP collection events
  • a description of how the producer manages that type of HSP after it is collected
• Create promotional and educational materials with respect to that type of HSP that include the following:
  • the address of the website
  • a description of how that type of HSP is collected and managed
• The producer shall make the promotional and educational materials available to retailers that supply that type of HSP, municipal governments and Indigenous communities, and shall solicit and consider feedback on how the promotional and educational materials can be improved
• The producer shall promote each HSP collection event for that type of HSP in the local municipality or territorial district where it will be held for at least one week prior to the date of the event using a combination of two or more forms of media, including but not limited to:
  • local print publications
  • local print media
  • local radio
  • local signage or social media

Beginning October 1, 2021, producers or PROs acting on their behalf, of mercury-containing devices are required to establish and operate a promotion and education program that:

• Promotes their collection and management services with respect to the type of HSP they are obligated for
• Provides the following information on a website with respect to that type of HSP:
  • the presence of mercury in that type of HSP
  • how to distinguish that type of HSP from similar products that do not contain mercury
  • the hazards to human health and the environment related to mercury
  • how consumers can properly dispose of that type of HSP
  • a description of the collection services provided by the producer under this Regulation for that type of HSP
  • a description of how the producer manages that type of HSP after it is collected under this Regulation
• Creates promotional and educational materials with respect to that type of HSP that include the following:
  • the address of the website
  • a description of how that type of HSP is collected and managed
• The producer shall make the promotional and educational materials available to retailers that supply that type of HSP or similar products that do not contain mercury, municipal governments, and Indigenous communities, and shall solicit and consider feedback from those retailers, municipal governments and Indigenous communities on how the promotional and educational materials can be improved

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks is responsible for overseeing the Hazardous Waste Program and conducting compliance and enforcement activities. The program is set out under Regulation 347: General – Waste Management under the Environmental Protection Act and Ontario Regulation 323/22: Subject Waste Program under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act.

Questions related to the regulations should be directed to the ministry at HazardousWasteProgram@ontario.ca

The amended Regulation 347: General – Waste Management clarifies that generators can delegate a service provider to submit information to the registry on the generator’s behalf. We call this kind of service provider an “authorized generator delegate” or an “AGD”.

If you choose the AGD role in RPRA’s HWP registry, you must have a written delegation agreement with the generator that appointed you their delegate.

Requirements for written authorizations to delegate, are set out in section 7.2 Delegating Registration and Reporting (section 27.2 of Regulation 347) of the ministry’s revised “Registration Guidance Manual for Generators of Liquid Industrial and Hazardous Waste”.

See FAQ: What is the difference between partial and full delegation?

The regulation requires notices to be filed for three types of activities:

1. Notice filings for excess soil from Project Areas that can be made by a Project Leader or Authorized Person and may require retaining a Qualified Person. These notices will be required starting January 1^st, 2022, before soil that will become excess soil is removed from the Project Area. There will be two fillings for each notice:

1. An initial filing before the soil is removed, which will require the following information to be provided:

• • a description of the project and Project Area including the location of each property within the project area
  • the contact information of the Project Leader, Operator or Authorized Person and the person responsible for transportation, and if applicable, the qualified person
  • an estimated amount of the soil that will be generated broken down by quality standard
  • a list of substances/materials that were added to the soil
  • the location of temporary or final sites that the soil will be transported to
  • details of the Reuse Site(s) where the soil will be moved to
  • information on any peer review or certification processes if applicable
  • and a declaration by the Project Leader.

Exceptions

The Project Leader, Operator or Authorized Person may file a notice after soil that will become excess soil has been removed from the project area if:

• conducting the required sampling and analysis at the project area is impractical
• the soil is removed from the project area and delivered to a temporary site to conduct the required sampling, and
• the Project Leader, Operator or Authorized Person makes sure the required sampling is conducted as soon as the soil is delivered to the temporary site

If soil is removed before a notice is filed in the Registry, the Project Leader, Operator, or Authorized Person is required to ensure that the notice is filed in the Registry before the soil that has become excess soil is transported from the temporary site to the final site.

More information about when this type of notice filing is not required can be found under Schedule 2 of the regulation.

The Project Leader or Authorized Person is required to update notice filings that are no longer complete or accurate within 30 days after the day the person becomes aware that the information is no longer complete or accurate.

2. A final notice within 30 days after excess soil has been removed from the Project Area or temporary site which will require the following information:

• the amount of excess soil removed from the Project Area that was deposited at: a class 1 soil management site, a class 2 soil management site, a reuse site, a local waste transfer facility, and a landfilling site or dump
• the date on which the last load of excess soil was removed from the project area or temporary site
• a declaration by the Project Leader

2. Notice filings for Residential Development Soil Depots can be made by an Owner, Operator, or Authorized Person. This notice will be required before excess soil is deposited on a residential development soil depot site if the depot commences operation on or after January 1, 2022, or if the depot was already in operation when the requirement to file a notice comes into effect, the notice should be filed ahead of January 1, 2022.

The Owner or Operator of the Residential Development Soil Depot must ensure that the quality of the excess soil accepted and managed at the depot meets the applicable Excess Soil Quality Standards set out in the regulation. There will be two filings for each notice:

1. An initial filing before the soil is received, which will require the following information to be provided:
   • the site location
   • the contact information of the Site Owner and Operator
   • the project commencement date
   • the estimated amount of soil (including inventory on-site)
   • the site instrument identification
   • and a declaration by the Site Owner or Operator.
2. A final filling within 90 days of the depot closing indicating the date when the depot ceased operations, and a declaration by the Site Owner or Operator.

3. Notice filings for Reuse Sites can be made by a Site Owner, Operator, or an Authorized Person. These will be required starting January 1^st, 2022, and apply to a Reuse Site that expects at least 10,000 m3 of excess soil to be deposited after January 1^st, 2022 (including Reuse Sites that were in operation before that date). There will be two filings for each notice:

1. An initial filing before the excess soil is deposited, which will require the following information to be provided:
   • the site location/property type
   • the contact information of the Site Owner and Operator
   • a description of the undertaking
   • the applicable excess soil quality standards for the site
   • the estimated amount of soil by quality standard
   • the estimated dates when the first and last soil load will be deposited
   • the site instrument identification
   • and a declaration by the Site Owner or Operator.
2. A final notice filing within 30 days after the final load of excess soil has been deposited at the Reuse Site which will require the following information:
   • confirmation that all excess soil that will be reused for a beneficial purpose has been deposited at the reuse site
   • the total amount of excess soil that was deposited
   • the date the final load of excess soil was deposited
   • and a declaration by the owner or operator.

The Site Owner or Operator is required to update notice filings that are no longer complete or accurate within 30 days after the day the person becomes aware that the information is no longer complete or accurate.

Exemptions:

Reuse Sites that are part of infrastructure projects are not required to file notices.

To calculate Blue Box P&E admin staff costs there are several steps:

• Determine total admin costs (salary, benefits, etc.) for promotion and education related to waste management and enter it in the first column
  • Determine this cost based on the number of hours spent on P&E, not the total number of total hours for this position
• Determine the ratio of the number of hours of Blue Box specific P&E activities versus total number of hours of P&E for waste management
  • Convert this ratio of hours to a percent and enter it in the second column

All information required to be reported under the Hazardous Waste Program and Regulation 347: General – Waste Management will need to be submitted through the new Hazardous Waste Program Registry starting January 1, 2023.

However, the amended Regulation 347: General – Waste Management makes clear that a generator can delegate reporting activities to a service provider, so service providers can submit the required information to the Registry and pay fees on behalf of the generator.

See FAQ: Where can I find information about the Hazardous Waste Program and associated regulations

See FAQ: what is delegation?

Full delegation: when generators hire service providers to do all the facility and waste stream management, reporting and fee payment in the registry on their behalf, and they never have to set up accounts or use the registry.  

Partial delegation: when generators want to set up their own account in the registry and pay their own fees, they can still delegate facility and waste stream management and other reporting activities to a service provider.  

Please note delegation is not needed for a service provider to create manifests for your facility. Delegation is needed only for a service provider to help manage a generator’s facility and waste stream information (e.g., register or edit waste streams) or sign off on manifests on the generator’s behalf. 

Comparison of delegation options

A tire producer qualifies for an exemption if their average weight of supply for that calendar year is less than 1,175 kg.

Average supply weight is determined using the following formula:

Average weight of tire supply = (Y3+Y4+Y5) / 3

E.g. 2025 average weight of supply = (2022 + 2021 + 2020) / 3

Tire producers that meet the exemption criteria are exempt from:

• Registering and reporting to RPRA
• Establishing a collection and management system
• Meeting a management requirement

Producers must verify that they continue to meet the exemption annually, since their average weight of supply will change from year to year.

Exempt producers must keep records related to the weight of tires supplied into Ontario each year and provide them to RPRA upon request.

Producers are advised to confirm their exemption with the Compliance Team at 833-600-0530 or registry@rpra.ca.

“In April 2024, the Government of Ontario finalized amendments to Reg. 406/19: On-Site and Excess Soil Regulation (Excess Soil Regulation) and the Rules for Soil Management and Excess Soil Quality Standards (Soil Rules), which came into effect April 23, 2024. A key amendment made to the regulation means: Enhanced usability of project leader-owned or controlled storage sites (Class 2 soil management sites and local waste transfer facilities) and soil depots to allow for larger volumes of soil being managed without requiring a waste approval, now up to 25,000 m3 (previously 10,000 m3) with additional flexibility for public bodies and having greater alignment of rules across sites.

If you have questions about the Excess Soil Regulation or the amendments, contact the ministry at MECP.LandPolicy@ontario.ca. See our FAQ to see “Who needs to file notices?”

RPRA’s Registry fees cover the costs related to compliance and enforcement and other activities required to administer the regulations under the RRCEA, and building and operating the Registry.

The Registry fees cover expenses in a given year (e.g., 2021 fees cover 2021 expenses). 2021 fees for Blue Box cover the Authority’s costs to undertake activities to implement the regulation in 2021, which include:

• helping obligated parties understand their requirements
• ensuring producers register and report their supply data by the deadline in the regulation
• compliance, enforcement, and communication activities

The Tires Regulation requires producers to submit to the Registry the identity of each tire collector and tire collection site that is a part of that producer’s tire collection system. It is up to each producer, or a producer responsibility organization (PRO) on the producer’s behalf, to identify the tire collection sites that will be used in their tire collection systems.

Tire collectors are required to register and identify their collection sites (i.e., the address for every individual site where tires are collected). The collection site data will be used to populate a list of collection sites that will be available to producers and PROs. Producers, or their PROs, will be required to identify their tire collection systems.

Please read Compliance Bulletin -Tire Collection Systems for compliance guidance to producers who are required to establish and operate tire collection systems under the Tires Regulation.

There are only two allowable deductions for Blue Box materials. There are for materials that are:

• collected from an eligible source at the time a related product was installed or delivered (e.g., packaging that is removed from the house by a technician installing a new appliance). This is the “installation deduction”.
• deposited into a receptacle at a location that is collected from a business or institution where Blue Box collection services are not provided under the regulation. This is the “ineligible source deduction” that was expanded by the regulation amendment in July 2023.

Ineligible source deductions:

Blue Box Producers may deduct materials that are collected from a business or institution where producers are not required to provide Blue Box collection services. Examples include offices, stores and shopping malls, restaurants, community centres, recreation facilities, sports and entertainment venues, universities and colleges, and manufacturing facilities.

Producers cannot deduct the following materials collected through the collection systems established under the Blue Box Regulation:

• Material that is generated at a facility (including multi-residential buildings, retirement homes, long-term care homes and schools).
• Material that is collected from a residence through a curbside or depot collection service.
• Material that is collected from a public space (including an outdoor area in a park, playground or sidewalk, or a public transit station).
• Material collected under an alternative or supplemental collection system.
• Beverage containers cannot be deducted.

Materials that are deducted cannot count toward a producer’s management requirement.

Please see the Reporting Guidance Ineligible Source Deductions for the 2024 Blue Box Supply Report for more information on how to determine and use these deductions.

If a producer misreports their supply data to RPRA, they must contact the Compliance and Registry Team immediately by emailing registry@rpra.ca. Please include the following information in the email:

• The rationale for the change in the data
• Any data that supports the need for a correction (e.g., sales documents, audit)
• Any other information to support the change

While it is an offence to submit false or misleading information under the RRCEA, RPRA wants this corrected as quickly to ensure a producer’s minimum management requirement is calculated using accurate supply data.

RPRA can only receive these requests from the primary contact on the company’s Registry account. Your request for an adjustment will be reviewed by a Compliance and Registry Officer.

A producer responsibility organization (PRO) is not necessarily required to include each and every collection site in Ontario in their collection system. However, producers and PROs acting on their behalf are required to establish and operate a collection system that meets the requirements of the Tires Regulation.

If a collection site operator is unable to be included in a collection system, the operator should contact RPRA’s Compliance Team at registry@rpra.ca, 647-496-0530 or toll free at 1-833-600-0530 for assistance.

Read Compliance Bulletin – Tire Collection Systems for more information. The contact information for all registered PROs is available on the producer responsibility organization webpage.

You will have to meet the registration requirements for every category that applies to you.

No. While RPRA is responsible for the oversight, compliance and enforcement of the regulatory requirements for tires under Ontario’s individual producer responsibility framework, RPRA’s activities do not replicate those of OTS.

In accordance with the legislation (Resource Recovery Circular Economy Act 2016, section 57), the Authority is required to comply with strict confidentiality requirements. The Authority has also developed an Access and Privacy Code that applies to its day-to-day operations.

The Registry has been developed according to cybersecurity best practice principles. This includes VPN-based restrictions, staff training on all cybersecurity policies, staff access to the Registry on a strict role-requirement basis, and registry interface security features (example: two-factor authentication).

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.

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.

RPRA does not vet PROs before listing them on the website. Any business that registers as a PRO will be listed. Producers should do their own due diligence when determining which PRO to work with.

From October 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022, producers are required to establish the following:

• Collection sites – maintain at least the same number of sites that producers had at the end of the MHSW Program
• Collection events – make best efforts to hold the same number of events in each community as in 2020
• Call-in Service (only applicable to large producers) – provide a phone number for communities to call to request a pickup (of 100 kg or more) if requested by a council of the band, a municipality or a territorial district not located in the Far North, a depot owned or operated by the Crown not in the Far North.

Large producers shall make reasonable efforts to collect the HSP within one year of being notified by a representative of a council of the band located on a reserve in the Far North.

See our FAQ to understand “Am I a small, large or exempt HSP producer?“

As of October 1, 2021, producers of refillable propane containers must establish and operate a call-in collection number for the following representatives to request a pickup:

• a council of the band
• a municipality that is not located in the Far North
• a reserve in the Far North
• a territorial district that is not located in the Far North
• a depot where refillable propane containers are collected, that is owned or operated by the Crown in right of Ontario and that is not located in the Far North

As of October 1, 2021, producers of mercury-containing barometers, thermometers and thermostats must provide a call-in service number for communities to call to request a pickup if requested by the following representatives:

• a council of the band
• a municipality not located in the Far North
• a territorial district that is not located in the Far North
• a depot owned or operated by the Crown not in the Far North

Producers shall make reasonable efforts to collect the HSP within one year of being notified by a representative of a council of the band located on a reserve in the Far North.

The Excess Soil Registry is a record of Excess Soil generation and movement established and maintained by the Authority to:

• enable regulated persons to comply with registration and notice filing requirements outlined in the regulation;
• enable the ministry access to notice filings and associated data; and
• enable public access to the information contained in notice filings.

Project Leaders, Reuse Site Owners or Operators, and Residential Development Soil Depot Operators, as defined in the Excess Soil Regulation, are required to ensure notices are filed to the Excess Soil Registry for certain Project Areas (where Excess Soil is generated), Reuse Sites (where Excess Soil is deposited), and Residential Development Soil Depot sites (where Excess Soil is temporarily placed).

The minimum browser requirements are:

• Macintosh: Netscape 6.0+, Firefox 1.0+, Mozilla 1.0+, Opera 8.5+
• Windows: Internet Explorer 6.0+, Firefox 1.0+, Netscape 6.0+, Mozilla 1.0+, Opera 8.5+
• Linux: Netscape 6.0+, Firefox 1.0+, Mozilla 1.0+
• JavaScript and Session Cookies must be turned on

Please note that Firefox is the preferred browser for the Datacall. Some users have identified compatibility issues with Google Chrome and it is recommended to avoid using it as your browser as the view will have missing components.

If this does not fix the problem, contact datacall@rpra.ca.

RPRA takes a risk-based and proportional approach to compliance. This approach focuses on the potential risks that arise from non-compliance and assessing those risks to guide the use of compliance tools and the deployment of resources to minimize risk and maximize compliance. Learn more about RPRA’s Risk-Based Compliance Framework.

As a provincial regulator, we have the following powers to bring non-compliant parties into compliance:

• Broad inquiry powers including authority to compel documents and data
• Inspections and investigations
• Audits
• Compliance Orders and Administrative Penalty Orders (amounts to be set in regulation once finalized)
• Prosecution

RPRA’s primary approach to compliance is through communications (C4C – Communicating for Compliance). RPRA communicates directly with obligated parties and informs them of their requirements and when and how they must be completed. A high degree of compliance is achieved with this approach.

RPRA considers free riders a high priority to the programs we administer and focuses compliance efforts on bringing free riders into compliance with the regulations.

See our FAQ to understand “What is a free rider?”, and “What do I do if I think a business is a free rider?”

If you are interested in learning more about becoming an AGD, please reach out to RPRA at registry@rpra.ca.  

In terms of setting up your registry account, when creating your account in the HWP Registry, on the “Role Selection” page, users will be able to select the role (or roles) that apply to them, including acting as an authorized generator delegate (AGD).  

Prior to creating an account, selecting the AGD role and submitting information to the registry on your clients’ behalf, you will need to have an agreement in place with your client(s). You should communicate with your generator clients about their ability to delegate to a service provider and prepare your staff to answer questions about delegation.  

Requirements for written authorizations to delegate, are set out in the ministry’s revised “Registration Guidance Manual for Generators of Liquid Industrial and Hazardous Waste”  

In the Blue Box Regulation, certified compostable products and packaging is defined as material that:

• is only capable of being processed by composting, anaerobic digestion or other processes that result in decomposition by bacteria or other living organisms, and
• is certified compostable by an international, national, or industry standard that is listed in this procedure.

All certified compostable products and packaging reported by producers must be certified under one of the following standards:

• CAN/BNQ 0017-088: Specifications for Compostable Plastics
• ISO 17088: Specifications for compostable plastics
• ASTM D6400: Standard Specification for Labeling of Plastics Designed to be Aerobically Composted in Municipal or Industrial Facilities
• ASTM D6868: Standard Specification for Labeling of End Items that Incorporate Plastics and Polymers as Coatings or Additives with Paper and Other Substrates Designed to be Aerobically Composted in Municipal or Industrial Facilities
• EN 13432: Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation – Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of packaging

A brand supply list is a list of brands of obligated products that a producer supplies to consumers in Ontario. A producer must provide a brand supply list that makes up their supply data annually to RPRA. Each program has different requirements regarding how a producer must submit a brand supply list. For more information, consult the applicable programs’ walkthrough guide or contact RPRA’s Compliance and Registry Team at 1-833-600-0530 or by emailing registry@rpra.ca.

If you select bank withdrawal as your method of payment, this authorizes the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority to make a one-time withdrawal for the Registry invoice payment from the account you provided.

Bank Withdrawal – Important Terms:

• You have authorized RPRA to make one-time debits from your account. RPRA will obtain your authorization before any additional one-time or sporadic withdrawal is debited from your account. You have agreed that this confirmation may be provided at least three (3) calendar days before the first payment is withdrawn from your account. You have waived any and all requirements for pre-notification of the account being debited.
• Your payments are being made on behalf of a business.
• Your agreement may be cancelled provided notice is received thirty (30) days before the next withdrawal. If any of the above details are incorrect, please contact us immediately at the contact information below. If the details are correct, you do not need to do anything further and your Pre-Authorized Debits (PAD) will be processed. You have certain recourse rights if any debit does not comply with these terms. For example, you have the right to receive a reimbursement for any PAD that is not authorized or is not consistent with this PAD Agreement. To obtain more information on your recourse rights, contact your financial institution or visit www.payments.ca.

Please note:

• Registry invoices are considered due on receipt.
• Invoices are in CAD funds and payments must be sent in CAD.
• It may take 1-2 weeks for the involved banks to process your payment.

If you have questions relating to fee payment, contact our Compliance and Registry Team at registry@rpra.ca or call 647-496-0530 or toll-free at 1-833-600-0530.

Failure of an obligated party to meet a registration or reporting deadline may result in compliance action, including compliance orders, prosecutions or monetary penalties issued in accordance with the Administrative Penalties Guidelines.

In accordance with the Risk Based Compliance Framework, RPRA will communicate to obligated parties, via email, about their reporting requirements in advance of submission deadlines. RPRA will also send deadline reminders and notify missed deadlines to obligated parties prior to taking further compliance action.

For more guidance, read the new Late Registration or Report Submissions Compliance Bulletin.

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.

Eligible Ontario institutions are obligated to manage their waste under several regulations, each of which imposes different obligations and requirements.

Under the Ontario Environmental Protection Act, Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (IC&I) sector organizations have obligations to establish and operate an internal collection system that separates the waste generated on-site into different material categories (i.e., a source-separation program).

The Blue Box Regulation, under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, obligates producers of Blue Box material to collect, manage, and report on the materials that they supply to consumers both on-site and off-site.

A collection site is required to:

• accept all used materials that are designated under the program the collection site operates under*,
• accept materials dropped off free of charge, and
• accept materials dropped off during regular business hours.

The amount and type of materials a collection site must accept varies by which recycling program they operate under.

*More information on what materials must be accepted for each recycling program can be found here.

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.

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.

Starting January 1, obligated parties are required to report on waste management activities, including manifesting, through the online HWP Registry instead of reporting through the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Park’s Hazardous Waste Information Network (HWIN) and instead of using paper manifests. 

The regulated community no longer has access to HWIN to manage their accounts and pay fees associated with activities from 2022 or earlier.

If necessary, the ministry will contact generators to address balances remaining in HWIN pre-paid accounts from 2022.

Regulation 347: General – Waste Management outlines the requirement for the regulated community to maintain a copy of paper manifests for a period of two years, for manifests that are applicable prior to January 1, 2023. 

Each registry account has one account administrator, who is responsible for enrolling the company in programs (e.g., HWP, batteries, etc.) and adding/removing additional account users.   

There is one primary user for each program enrolment. In HWP, the primary user can add/remove users to the HWP program, add program roles (such as generator, carrier or receiver) and is the point of contact to receive email notifications (such as when a new invoice is available).   

Secondary users in the HWP can create and edit generator facilities and waste information (generator/AGD roles only); add ECA information and edit contact information (carrier/receiver roles only); create, edit and sign manifests.   

Driver users are specific to the carrier role in the HWP program. Drivers can create, edit and sign manifests but cannot add ECA information. 

Manifest-only users, like the driver user role, have a reduced level of access limited to viewing, creating, editing and signing manifests. They cannot view, edit, or manage facilities, or view information related to fees.  

Account admins can manage password resets for all active users in the account. Primary users are also able to manage password resets, but only for active users within the programs they are the primary user for. If secondary users, drivers or manifest-only users require a password reset, they can reach out to the account admin or primary user to do so. 

User Management

Yes, receivers in other jurisdictions that receive waste from Ontario must have an account in RPRA’s Hazardous Waste Program Registry in order to complete the receiver information on a manifest. Regulation 347: General – Waste Management under the Environmental Protection Act states that a carrier is only allowed to transport subject waste out of Ontario to a receiving facility outside Ontario if they have reason to believe the intended receiver is willing to submit the required receiver manifest information through the registry.

Yes, a Blue Box producer, or PRO (producer responsibility organization) on behalf of a producer, or a service provider on behalf of either party, can choose to offer collection services to any location. Blue Box producers are required to provide collection services to all eligible sources, as well as public spaces.

Blue Box materials collected from locations that are not eligible sources cannot count towards meeting a producer’s management requirement unless they were supplied to a consumer in Ontario. See this FAQ: Who is a consumer under the Blue Box Regulation?

If a person is co-collecting from locations that are eligible sources and not eligible sources, a person must use a methodology or process acceptable to the Authority to account for materials collected from each type of source. Anyone considering this can contact the Compliance Team to discuss at registry@rpra.ca or 833-600-0530.

For example, if materials are collected from an eligible source and a location that is not an eligible source along the same collection route, they must be accounted for separately. When those materials are then sent to a processor, they must also be accounted for separately.

Reuse under the Tires Regulation means either of the following:

1. Tires that are sold and reused for their original purpose with or without modification. Modification includes repair but does not include retreading. For example, a repaired tire must be sold as a complete tire. A repair to a tire that remains on a vehicle, such as fixing a flat tire, does not count as reuse.
2. Tires that are reused without modification for a new purpose. For example, a tire being reused as a bumper, or other similar apparatus for absorbing shock. Tires that are reused without modification for a new purpose does not include tires that are deposited on land.

The entire weight of the reused tire can be counted towards a producer’s management target.

If the map is not showing any recycling locations near you, you can:

1. Try expanding your search by increasing the distance you’re willing to travel or modifying other filters.
2. If there still isn’t a recycling location near you, contact the waste management department at your municipality for proper disposal instructions.

This map provides locations for most materials captured under Ontario’s recycling programs, which are overseen by RPRA: batteries, electronics, household hazardous waste, lighting and tires. See below for more information on what to do with materials that aren’t displayed on the map. ​

Household hazardous waste​

Drop-off locations for some household hazardous waste, such as refillable propane containers, refillable pressurized containers, fertilizers and mercury-containing thermostats, thermometers and barometers, aren’t displayed on the map because they aren’t required (under the recycling program) to be reported to RPRA. ​

However, there may be locations that accept these materials for recycling that aren’t listed on RPRA’s Where to Recycle map. To find a location to dispose of refillable propane containers, refillable pressurized containers, fertilizers or mercury-containing thermostats, thermometers and barometers, contact one of the businesses below or visit their website: ​

• Mobius PRO Services​
• Offers services for refillable propane containers and refillable pressurized containers​
• Phone: 833-266-2487 | Email: info@mobiuspro.ca | Website​
• Product Care Association​
• Offers services for fertilizers and refillable propane containers​
• Website (includes a map with recycling locations)​
• Ryse Solutions Ontario Inc.​
• Offers services for fertilizers, refillable pressurized containers, refillable propane containers, barometers, thermometers and thermostats​
• Phone: 289-352-1200 | Email: info@ryseinc.ca | Website​
• Tank Traders​
• Offers services for refillable propane containers​
• Website (includes a map with recycling locations)​
• Thermostat Recovery Program​
• Offers services for thermostats​
• Website (includes a map with recycling locations)​

Other materials (e.g., organics, mattresses, textiles, etc.)​

If you need to recycle materials outside of the programs that RPRA oversees (e.g., organics, mattresses, textiles, etc.), please contact the waste management department at your municipality for proper disposal instructions.​

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.

Yes. PROs are private enterprises and charge for their services to producers.

Each commercial contract a producer enters with a PRO will have its own set of terms and conditions. It is up to the PRO and producer to determine the terms of their contractual agreement, including fees and payment schedule.

RPRA does not set the terms of the contractual arrangements between PROs and producers.

Yes. Producers and service providers can enter into contractual agreements with multiple PROs.

Contact the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks for any information about Environmental Compliance Approvals.

Under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, the Authority is required to provide an annual report to the Minister that includes information on aggregate producer performance, and a summary of compliance and enforcement activities. Under section 51 of the Act, the Registrar also is required to post every order issued on the Registry.

No, products or packaging designated as Hazardous and Special Products (HSP) are not obligated under the Blue Box Regulation. For example, primary packaging for paints and coatings are HSP and therefore not obligated as Blue Box materials.

Some packaging for HSP products may still be obligated. For example, the packaging that contains an oil filter is obligated as Blue Box materials.

Consult the HSP Regulation or the Compliance and Registry Team for further information.

The brand holder is the obligated producer.

A marketplace facilitator only becomes obligated for products supplied through its marketplace where the producer would have been a retailer. If the producer is a brand holder or an importer, they remain the obligated producer even when products are distributed by a marketplace facilitator.

A retailer is a business that supplies products to consumers, whether online or at a physical location.

Blue Box materials supplied to a business (e.g., the operators of a long-term care home) are not obligated, however, there are no deductions available for materials supplied to a consumer in an IC&I setting (e.g., a resident of a long-term care home).

Any Blue Box materials supplied to consumers in Ontario are obligated. Blue Box materials supplied to the IC&I sector are not obligated (except beverage containers which are obligated regardless of the sector supplied into).

The rule and allocation table creation process has been removed from the Blue Box Regulation and is therefore no longer required to create and maintain the system for collecting Blue Box materials across the province, as per regulatory amendments made by the government on April 14, 2022. As such, rule creators are no longer applicable under the regulation. Learn more about the amendments.

To replace these tools, the amended regulation now requires PROs to submit a report that outlines how they will operate the Blue Box collection system on behalf of producers, ensuring that materials are collected from all eligible communities (i.e., communities outside of the Far North) across the province. Learn more about what PROs need to include in the report.

Yes, a producer can change PROs at any time. Producers must notify RPRA of any change in PROs within 30 days of the change.

Under the Blue Box Regulation, allowable deductions for producers include Blue Box materials that are deposited into a receptacle at a location that is not an eligible source and where the product related to the Blue Box material was supplied and used or consumed.

This applies to food court restaurants located in a mall or in the base of an office tower. Blue Box materials that were disposed of in the buildings’ recycling receptacles and were supplied and used or consumed within that physical building are an allowable deduction. Blue Box materials that were disposed of in the buildings’ recycling receptacles but were not supplied and used or consumed within that physical building are not deductible.

This does not reduce the obligation of a producer to provide complete and accurate supply data or limit the ability of an Authority inspector to review the data and related records for the purpose of determining compliance.

Yes, producers are obligated to provide collection services to new single-family residences that come into existence during the transition period.

Producers are obligated to provide collection services to new facilities that come into existence during the transition period only if that facility would have qualified for collection services under the WDTA Blue Box Program.

For further certainty, the WDTA Blue Box Program includes collection services for multi-family households (including rental, cooperative or condominium residential), senior citizen residences, long-term care facilities and public and private elementary and secondary schools.