Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ filtered results:

Program: Blue Box

Topic: Producer , Reporting

For the purposes of supply data reporting, ‘refillable packaging’ is defined as packaging surrounding a supplied product that a consumer can return to the product manufacturer for cleaning and reuse.

A producer who supplies its products in refillable packaging should only report weights (under the appropriate material category) the first time the packaging is supplied to consumers.

For example:

A milk producer that used 1000 new glass bottles to supply its product to consumers in 2022, reported the weight of all 1000 bottles under the beverage container category in their 2023 supply data report.

In 2023, the producer added 500 new glass bottles to its supply, bringing the total of supplied material to 1500 bottles. Their 2024 supply data report should only reflect the weights of the 500 new bottles, not the total currently being used by the producer (1500).

Important: Products supplied in beverage containers should be reported in the ‘beverage container’ category, not the category the container is made of (plastic, metal, glass).

See Compliance Bulletin: What blue box materials need to be reported?
Program: Blue Box

Topic: Collection systems , Where to Recycle map

Blue Box materials (i.e., products and packaging made of metal, glass, paper, flexible plastic, rigid plastic, and beverage containers) are typically collected directly from residences through the provincial Blue Box Program. RPRA’s Where to Recycle map displays public locations for recycling materials that don’t belong in your Blue Box (e.g., batteries, electronics, household hazardous waste, lighting and tires).

For more information on recycling Blue Box materials, visit Circular Materials’ website. Circular Materials is the administrator of Ontario’s Blue Box collection system.
Program: Batteries , Blue Box , ITT/AV , Lighting , Tires

Topic: General , Management activities , Producer

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.
Program: Blue Box

Topic: Producer , Reporting

Each Blue Box producer is required to report the Blue Box packaging they add to a product.

For example: a college or university bookstore plans to ship a book to a consumer in Ontario. The bookstore staff packages the book in a small box with the packing slip and inserts the box into a plastic mailer supplied by the delivery service with the required label affixed.

In this scenario, the college or university is the obligated producer of the small box and packing slip and must report these materials in their supply report, whereas the delivery company is the obligated producer of the plastic mailer and label and must report these materials in their supply report.

Also see:
Am I a producer of Blue Box product packaging?
Program: Blue Box

Topic: Producer , Reporting

Public sector institutions must report all branded and unbranded Blue Box packaging supplied or sold with food served in their owned and operated on-site facilities. These facilities include but are not limited to cafeterias, pubs, cafes, and in the case of a college or university, faculty offices.

It is important to consider other situations where food service Blue Box packaging is supplied to consumers. For example, a college must report the packaging used in their Culinary and Hospitality programs that allow students to take home food prepared in class.
Program: Blue Box

Topic: Producer

Unbranded products are products that do not have any mark, word, name, symbol, design, device or graphical element, or any combination of these, including a registered or unregistered trademark, which identifies a product and distinguishes it from other products.

The retailer who supplied the product to a consumer in Ontario, either online or at a physical location, is the obligated producer for the supply of Blue Box packaging on that unbranded product.

For example: A cucumber in plastic film sold at a grocery store that does not have any stickers, labeling or any other information associated with a brand is considered unbranded. As the retailer for that unbranded product, the grocery store is the obligated producer for the packaging supplied with the cucumber.
Program: Blue Box

Topic: PRO , Producer , Reporting
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
Program: Blue Box

Topic: Collection systems , Producer , Reporting

No, transport packaging is only obligated when supplied to a consumer in Ontario. Any transport packaging removed by a retailer or other entity before the product is supplied to a consumer is not obligated under this regulation.
Program: Blue Box

Topic: Producer , Registration , Reporting
See our FAQs to understand “What are paper products?” and “What are packaging-like products?”.

For paper products and packaging-like products, a person is considered a producer:

if they are the brand holder of the paper product or packaging-like product and are resident in Canada

if no resident brand holder, they are resident in Ontario and import the paper product or packaging-like product from outside of Ontario

if no resident importer, they are the retailer that supplied the paper product or packaging-like product directly to consumers in Ontario

if the retailer who would be the producer is a marketplace seller, the marketplace facilitator is the obligated producer

if the producer is a business that is a franchise, the franchisor is the obligated producer, if that franchisor has franchisees that are resident in Ontario
Program: Blue Box

Topic: Producer , Registration , Reporting
See our FAQ to understand “What is blue box product packaging?”.

Product packaging added to a product can be added at any stage of the production, distribution and supply of the product. A person adds packaging to a product if they:

make the packaging available for another person to add the packaging to the product

cause another person to add the packaging to a product

combine the product and the packaging

For the portion of the product packaging that a brand holder added to the product, a person is considered a producer:

if they are the brand holder of the product and are resident in Canada

if no resident brand holder, they are resident in Ontario and import the product from outside of Ontario

if no resident importer, they are the retailer that supplied the product directly to consumers in Ontario

if the retailer who would be the producer is a marketplace seller, the marketplace facilitator is the obligated producer

if the producer is a business that is a franchise, the franchisor is the obligated producer, if that franchisor has franchisees that are resident in Ontario

For the portion of the product packaging that an importer of the product into Ontario added to the product, a person is considered a producer:

if they are resident in Ontario and import the product from outside of Ontario

if no resident importer, they are the retailer that supplied the product directly to consumers in Ontario

if the retailer who would be the producer is a marketplace seller, the marketplace facilitator is the obligated producer

if the producer is a business that is a franchise, the franchisor is the obligated producer, if that franchisor has franchisees that are resident in Ontario

For any portion of the packaging that is not described above, the producer is the retailer who supplied the product to consumers in Ontario.