Frequently Asked Questions

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Collection systems , Collector , Producer

  Toggle the submenu Are there are any differences in obligated Blue Box materials between the current Stewardship Ontario program and the new Blue Box Regulation?

  Yes, there are several newly obligated packaging/products under the Blue Box Regulation, including:

  • Unprinted paper
  • Packaging-like products, such as aluminum foil, metal trays, wrapping paper, paper bags, cardboard boxes and envelopes
  • Service accessories, such as straws, cutlery or plates that are supplied with a food or beverage product
  • Durable products, such as CD cases, box board for board games/puzzles and power tool cases

  Note: Another change is that beverage containers are obligated regardless of the sector they are supplied into (personal, family, household, or business purposes).

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Collection systems , General , PRO , Processor , Producer

  Toggle the submenu What are the types of Blue Box materials obligated under the Blue Box Regulation?

  The following are the types of Blue Box Materials obligated under the Blue Box Regulation:

  • Blue box packaging (primary, transport, convenience, service accessories, ancillary elements)
  • Paper products
  • Packaging-like products

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Collection systems , Management activities , Producer , Registration , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu Are Blue Box materials that are supplied to the IC&I sector, such as long-term care homes, obligated?

  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).

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• Program: Blue Box , Hazardous and Special Products

  Topic: Management activities , Producer , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu Are containers that are obligated under the Hazardous and Special Products (HSP) Regulation obligated as Blue Box materials?

  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.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Collection systems

  Toggle the submenu Our municipality’s Blue Box program accepts books, pots and pans, and/or zipper-type flexible plastic food storage bags for collection. Will they be accepted for collection in the producer-run Blue Box program?

  Under the WDTA Blue Box program, municipalities could choose to accept these materials in their programs. This choice varied between municipalities.

  Under the producer-run Blue Box program, none of these materials are considered obligated Blue Box materials. The Blue Box Regulation specifically states that hard or soft cover books or products made from flexible plastic that is ordinarily used for the containment, protection and or handling of food, such as cling wrap, sandwich bags or freezer bags are not Blue Box materials. Pots and pans do not meet the definition of Blue Box material under the Regulation.

  Producers are not obligated to collect or manage the recovery of these materials.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu Our institution has implemented a source-separation program to capture and divert recyclable material from landfill. Why are we obligated to report to the RPRA when we’re already recycling our waste?

  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.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu If I already reported my Blue Box supply data to Stewardship Ontario through the WeRecycle Portal, do I have to report again to RPRA?

  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.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu What must a producer demonstrate to deduct materials that are supplied, used, or consumed and disposed of at a non-eligible source (e.g., an arena, a college or university campus, or a food court)?

  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 to a consumer and used or consumed.

  This applies to locations such as arenas, college and university campuses and food courts.

  A producer must demonstrate the following with regards to an allowable deduction:

  1. They are the obligated producer for the materials for which they are claiming a deduction, and the weight of those materials was included in their reported supply data.
  2. The materials were supplied onsite to a consumer for personal, family or household purposes.
  3. The same materials that were supplied, were used or consumed onsite and disposed of in a receptacle onsite.

  Blue Box materials that were disposed of in a building’s receptacles but were not supplied and used or consumed within that physical building are not deductible. This deduction applies to all Blue Box materials supplied for personal, family or household, but not those supplied for business purposes. This deduction is not available for beverage containers.

  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.

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• Program: Blue Box , Hazardous and Special Products

  Topic: Collection systems , PRO , Processor , Producer

  Toggle the submenu Do I dispose of my empty paints cans, pesticides, solvents and fertilizers at Blue Box collection sites or HSP collection sites?

  Paints, pesticides, solvents fertilizers obligated under the HSP Regulation along with their primary packaging must be accepted at collection sites collecting the corresponding material. For instance, empty paint cans and pesticide aerosols obligated under the HSP Regulation must be accepted at collection sites collecting paint and pesticides.

  See our FAQ to understand “Under the HSP Regulation, is the packaging of antifreeze, pesticides, solvents, paints and coatings obligated?” and “Are containers that are obligated under the HSP Regulation obligated as Blue Box materials?“

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: PRO , Producer , Registry , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu Are beverage containers eligible for a producer’s allowable deductions for Blue Box materials that are deposited into a receptacle at a location that is a) not an eligible source, and b) where the product related to the Blue Box material was supplied and used or consumed?

  No, beverage containers are not eligible for this deduction.

  The allowable deduction is permitted for Blue Box materials that are deposited into a “non-eligible source,” meaning a place where consumers dispose of Blue Box materials that are not included in the producer-run collection system.

  Under the Blue Box Regulation, beverage containers that are supplied to Ontario consumers for personal, family, household or business purposes are obligated Blue Box materials. The inclusion of “business purposes” is unique to the beverage container material category.

  Because supplying a beverage container can mean either supplying for “personal, family and/or household purposes” that will likely be consumed and disposed of in a residential context (e.g., a home, apartment, long-term care facility, etc.) or supplying for “business purposes” that will likely be consumed and disposed of in a commercial or institutional context (e.g., a restaurant, college or gym), there are no “non-eligible sources” for beverage containers. All beverage containers must be reported and collected from all sources, whether they are residential, business, commercial or institutional.

  See our FAQ to understand “What deductions are available to producers under the Blue Box Regulation?”

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