Frequently Asked Questions

Blue Box materials supplied to the IC&I sector are not obligated, therefore, deductions are available for materials supplied to a consumer in an IC&I setting.

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
• Hotels
• Hospitals
• Community centres
• Places of worship
• Recreation facilities
• Sports and entertainment venues
• Universities and colleges
• Manufacturing facilities
• Golf courses
• Cemeteries
• Amusement parks

Producers are responsible for material collected from eligible sources in the producer run Common Collection System, Alternative or Supplemental Collections Systems. Material from these categories is not allowed to be deducted:

• Material that is collected from a residence through a curbside or depot collection service.
• 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 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.

Please see the Reporting Guidance Ineligible Source Deductions for the 2026 Blue Box Supply Report for more information on how to determine and use these deductions.

Also see our FAQs: ‘What deductions are available to producers under the Blue Box Regulation?’, ‘Who is a consumer under the Blue Box Regulation’

RPRA will accept a supporting document that substantiates the data on the total Blue Box material weight deducted (e.g., own methodology).

Producers must retain all records of calculations and methodologies used to determine any reported supply deductions.

Please see the Reporting Guidance Ineligible Source Deductions for the 2026 Blue Box Supply Report for more information on how to determine and use these deductions.

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:

• 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.
• The materials were supplied onsite to a consumer for personal, family or household purposes.
• 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 does not reduce the obligation of a producer to provide complete and accurate supply data or limit the ability of a RPRA inspector to review the data and related records for the purpose of determining compliance.

Yes, beverage containers are eligible for this deduction starting in 2026.

The allowable deduction is permitted for beverage containers that are collected from a business or institution where producers are not required to provide Blue Box collection services.

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

RPRA’s Compliance and Enforcement Team is undertaking a risk-based review of 2026 Blue Box supply data submitted by producers. The following risk factors were considered when selecting producers for inspection:

• Producers filing deductions: Supply report submissions containing material deductions, where larger deduction volumes or multiple submissions increase regulatory risk.
• Producers claiming compostable exemptions: Supply report submissions claiming exemptions for compostable materials, particularly those involving large volumes or multiple filings.
• Significant year-over-year variance: Producers displaying substantial unexplained changes in reported supply tonnage compared to previous years.
• High-volume producers: Market participants representing significant overall quantities of system tonnage.
• Inconsistent registration history: Producers who have not registered consistently every reporting year.

This inspection process prioritizes data validation and evaluation of historical submissions. The process is meant to enhance reporting accuracy and, where required, enforce regulatory requirements to help ensure that all Blue Box producers are held to a consistently high standard of compliance.

For more information, see our FAQ: What is the process for the 2026 Blue Box supply data inspection campaign?

Producers are required to provide the following information when registering with RPRA:

• Contact information
• PRO information (if a PRO has been retained at time of reporting), including what services they have retained a PRO for
• Their supply data from the previous calendar year in each of the seven material categories – beverage container, glass material, flexible plastic, metal material, paper material, and certified compostable products and packaging material – as well as any deductions.

Please note that this information must be submitted to RPRA directly.

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

Starting in 2022, producers are required to report their supply data annually to RPRA.

Each year, producers will need to provide the previous years’ supply data in each of the seven material categories – beverage container, glass material, flexible plastic, rigid plastic, metal material, paper material, and certified compostable products and packaging material – as well as any deductions.

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

Yes, a food court restaurant can deduct Blue Box materials that are disposed of in its mall recycling receptacles.

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 a RPRA inspector to review the data and related records for the purpose of determining compliance.

Public sector institutions, such as colleges and universities, are suppliers of Blue Box materials to consumers in Ontario. They supply Blue Box materials to consumers on-site (e.g., food service packaging, unprinted paper in photocopiers, etc.) and off-site (e.g., mailings).

For the purposes of supply reporting, colleges, universities, and other public sector institutions must determine the total amount of Blue Box material they supply to consumers in Ontario. One way to gather this data is by canvassing internal departments to obtain annual weights of Blue Box materials supplied to consumers on-site and off-site.

Also see:

• FAQ: What deductions are available to producers under the Blue Box Regulation?
• Compliance Bulletin: What Blue Box materials need to be reported?