Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the lists of registered PROs:

Opens in new window: Tire PROs

Opens in new window: Battery PROs

Opens in new window: ITT/AV PROs

Lighting PROs

Opens in new window: Blue Box PROs

Opens in new window: Hazardous and Special Products PROs

These lists will continue to be updated as new PROs register with RPRA.

When paying fees to RPRA,  you can select from one of the following payment methods:

• Bank withdrawal (pre-authorized debit)
• Credit card
• Electronic data interchange (EDI; also commonly known as ACH or EFT)
• Electronic bill payment
• Cheque

For instructions on how to submit payment by the method you chose, read one of the following FAQs:

• How do I pay my fees to RPRA by credit card?
• How do I pay my fees to RPRA by bank withdrawal (pre-authorized debit)?
• How do I pay my fees to RPRA by electronic bill?
• How do I pay my fees to RPRA by cheque?
• How do I pay my fees to RPRA by electronic data interchange (EDI)?

To note, Registry invoices are considered due on receipt. Invoices are in CAD funds and payments must be sent in CAD.

We recommend using Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge or Apple Safari when accessing the Registry. If you are experiencing an issue with the Registry, try clearing your cache or updating the browser to the latest version.

If you are using a different browser, the Registry will not function.

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.

No. A PRO cannot report on behalf of service providers.

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

No. Section 68 subsection (3) of the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act states that “a person responsible for establishing and operating a collection system shall ensure that no charge is imposed at the time of the collection.”

Program fees are charges that producers obligated under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016, are required to pay to RPRA annually to recover its operational costs, including costs related to building and operating the registry, providing services to registrants, and compliance and enforcement activities.

All current and past fee schedules can be found here.

To register as a PRO, contact the Compliance and Registry Team at registry@rpra.ca or call 647-496-0530 or toll-free 1-833-600-0530.

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 Opens in new window: section 51 of the Act, the Registrar also is required to post every order issued on the Registry.

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.

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.

To create a Registry account with the Authority, you will need to provide:

• CRA Business Number (BN)
• Legal Business Name
• Business address and phone number
• Address of where you work (if different from the main office)
• Contact information for your billing contact (this may also be added later)

For regulatory purposes, we need to know your legal name — the name you are incorporated under.  We also need to know your business operating name if it is different from your legal business name to add to our published list of registrants. The list of registrants will be available on our website to allow registrants to interact with one another and to provide information to the public.

For example, if you are a registered collector and your legal name is 123456789 Ontario Ltd. and your business operating name is “Jack’s Garage,” a member of the public looking for a place to drop off used tires will need to know the name you are operating under to identify your location.

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.

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.

The Authority is the regulator designated by law to oversee the operation and wind up of current waste diversion programs under the Waste Diversion Transition Act, 2016. The Authority provides oversight, compliance, and enforcement activities with respect to regulations made under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016.

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 (Opens in new window: section 57), has created an Opens in new window: 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.

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 Opens in new window: 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).

Businesses have the choice to recover the cost of recycling their products by incorporating those costs into the overall cost of their product (as they do with other costs, such as materials, labour, other regulatory compliance costs, etc.) or by charging it as a separate fee to consumers.

Environmental fees are not mandatory and are applied at the discretion of the business charging them, including the amount of the fee.

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.

There is no set environmental fee for any product, the amount of the fee charged is decided by the business.

No. An environmental fee is not a government tax and cannot be represented as mandatory, a regulatory charge, or a RPRA fee. It is a fee charged at the discretion of a business to recover their costs related to recycling the product.

If you are concerned about the fee you were charged, you should contact the business that charged you the fee to request a more detailed explanation of how the fee was determined.

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 Opens in new window: HSP Regulation or the Compliance and Registry Team for further information.

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.

A person is considered a producer under the HSP Regulation if they supply oil filters, oil containers, antifreeze, solvents, paints and coatings, pesticides, fertilizers, pressurized containers or refillable propane containers and: 

• are the brand holder and has residency in Canada 
• import from outside Ontario and has residency in Ontario 
• markets directly to consumers in Ontario (e.g., online sales) and has residency in Ontario 
• markets directly to consumers and does not have residency in Ontario 

A person is considered a producer under the HSP Regulation if they supply mercury-containing barometers, thermometers or thermostats and: 

• are the brand holder and has residency in Canada 
• are the Brand holder of barometers, thermometers or thermostats marketed to consumers in Ontario that do not contain mercury 

A person is considered a producer under the HSP Regulation if they supply fertilizers and: 

• are the brand holder and has residency in Canada 

Even if you do not meet the above definitions, there may be circumstances where you qualify as a producer. Contact the Compliance Team at registry@rpra.ca or 833-600-0530 if you have questions. 

Related FAQs: 

• When and how do I register with RPRA as an HSP producer? 

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 hauler is a person who arranges for the transport of HSP that are used by consumers in Ontario and are destined for processing, reuse, refurbishing or disposal, but does not include a person who arranges for the transport of HSP initially generated by that person

A processor is a person who processes, for the purpose of resource recovery, HSP used by consumers in Ontario

A disposal facility means a facility at which pesticides are disposed of.

Account Admins must add any new, or manage existing, Primary Contacts under the program they wish to give them access to in order for the Primary Contact to be able to submit a report (e.g., permissions to view and complete reports).

To Manage contacts on your Registry account, please see the following steps:

1. Log into your account
2. Once you are logged in, click on the drop-down arrow in the top right corner and select Manage Users
3. Under Actions, click Manage to update preferences of existing users
4. Click Add New User to add an additional contact to your account
5. To give reporting access to a Primary Contact, select the program from the drop-down that you would like to grant them access to

No. As of October 1, 2021, it is up to the municipality to decide if they will participate in the HSP Regulation. Those that decide to participate will need to work with a PRO or a producer.

No. RPRA is a Regulator that enforces the HSP Regulation and does not provide or play a role in the reimbursement or compensation of the obligated products. Contact your PRO for further details.

Producers can reference the following chart to determine if they are a small, large or exempt HSP producer. To calculate your average weight of supply to confirm that you are an exempt producer, reference the Opens in new window: Registration Form.

Producer categories use the average weight of material (in tonnes) supplied in Ontario in the previous calendar year.

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.

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.

Producers of fertilizers have no collection requirements.

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.

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 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.

Producers of fertilizers have no management requirements.

Producers of refillable propane containers have no management requirements.

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 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.

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

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

There have been some key changes to the producer hierarchies in the HSP Regulation. This may affect what a producer is obligated for and should be considered if using data previously reported.

Hierarchy change for producers in all categories:

• Brand holders that are resident in Canada are obligated (previously was resident in Ontario)

Hierarchy change for producers of oil filters, oil containers, antifreeze, pesticides, non-refillable pressurized containers, refillable pressurized containers, solvents, paints or coatings:

• Producer hierarchy’s introduction of marketers with or without residency in Ontario

See our FAQ to understand “Am I an HSP Producer?”

The HSP Regulation has 13 materials obligated under it. Materials that share the same obligations have been grouped into categories.

Category A:

• Oil Filters: produced and/or arriving in Ontario, and which are for sale, directly or as part of a product
  a) a spin-on style filter or element-style fluid filter that is sold separately or as part of a product, that is used in hydraulic, transmission or internal combustion engine applications,
  (b)  a filter used for oil, diesel fuel, storage tank fuel, coolant, household furnace fuel, and
  (c)  a sump type automatic transmission filter

• Non-refillable pressurized containers: that are used for the supply of a gas product, including propane, but cannot be refilled

Category B:

• Refillable pressurized containers: that are used for the supply of a gas and can be refilled
• Antifreeze: that contains ethylene or propylene glycol used or intended for use as a vehicle engine coolant
• Oil containers: that have a capacity of 30 litres or less and that was manufactured and used for the purpose of containing new lubricating oil
• Solvents: that are used to dissolve or thin a compatible substance, comprised of 10% or more of water-immiscible liquid hydrocarbons, including halogen-substituted liquid hydrocarbons
• Paints and coatings: that contain latex, oil or solvent-based architectural coatings whether tinted or untinted, non-pesticide marine paints, paints for automotive craft and industrial applications
• Pesticides: fungicides, herbicides or insecticides that are registered under the Pest Control Products Act

Category C:

• Barometers: that contain mercury, are intended for residential use and may contain electronic components
• Thermometers: that contain mercury, are intended for residential use to measure body or air temperature and may contain electronic component
• Thermostats: that contain mercury, and may contain electronic components

Category D:

• Fertilizers: any substance or mixture of substances containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium or other plant food, manufactured, sold or represented for use as a plant nutrient and regulated under the Fertilizers Act (Canada)

Category E:

• Refillable propane containers: A pressurized container that can be refilled, has a water capacity of 109 litres or less and is used only for propane

See our FAQ to understand “Is the packaging of antifreeze, pesticides, solvents, paints and coatings obligated?” and “What are the key changes to antifreeze, solvents, refillable pressurized containers, paints and coatings material definitions?”

There have been some key changes to the material definitions which may affect what a producer is obligated for and should be considered if using data previously reported:

• Antifreeze now includes factory fill
• Solvents that are captured by the definition are obligated regardless of how they are marketed
• Paints and coatings now include:
  • All non-pesticide marine paint products, regardless of whether it was contained in an aerosol container or not
  • Aerosol automotive paints
  • Aerosol craft paints
  • Aerosol industrial paints
  • Paints and coatings meeting the definition of this material and being supplied to IC&I are now obligated
• Refillable Pressurized Containers supplied to IC&I are now obligated

The following materials include the product’s primary packaging:

• Antifreeze
• Paints and coatings
• Pesticides
• Solvents

Note: This does not include primary packaging made of corrugated and boxboard boxes, plastic film, shrink wrap or printed materials.

Oil containers, solvents, paints and coatings, fertilizers and pesticides continue to only be obligated when supplied in a container that has a capacity is less than 30 litres or 30 kilograms.

All antifreeze supplied – regardless of container size – must be reported. However, the antifreeze container is only obligated when supplied in a container that has a capacity that is less than 30 litres or 30 kilograms.

See our FAQ to understand “Are containers that are obligated under the Hazardous and Special Products (HSP) Regulation obligated as Blue Box materials?”

Yes. You are required to submit 2018, 2019 and 2020 supply data when registering with the Authority if you are a producer of oil filters, oil filters, oil containers, antifreeze, pesticides, solvents, paints and coatings, refillable or non-refillable pressurized containers and:

• supplied materials between January 1, 2018, and October 31, 2021, and
• your average weight of supply is above the threshold stated in the below table

Otherwise, a producer must register on or before July 31 of the first calendar year in which the producer exceeds the above threshold. To calculate your average weight of supply, reference the Opens in new window: Registration Form.

Under the Opens in new window: HSP Regulation, producers are required to make reasonable efforts to establish and operate at least as many collection sites for each type of HSP in each local municipality, territorial district or reserve as the number of sites that were operated on September 30, 2021.

Producers are also required to make reasonable efforts to hold at least as many collection events for that type of HSP in each local municipality, territorial district or reserve as the number of events that were held in the 2020 calendar year.

A producer can grant access to anyone they would like to authorize in their reporting (i.e. Registry) portal. Producer reporting must be done in the producer account and batch data transfers are not accepted.

If a producer misreports their supply data to RPRA, they must contact the Compliance 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 as possible 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.

No, only producers are required to pay RPRA program fees.  The decision to make producers pay fees and cover the Authority’s costs was made to reflect the fact that the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 (RRCEA) is based on a producer responsibility framework. Although producers may hire service providers to help meet their obligations, the responsibility remains with the producer.

Under the Batteries, EEE, HSP, and Tire Regulations, a consumer is any end user of a product. A consumer includes an individual who obtains the product for the individual’s own use and a business that obtains the product for the business’s own use.

See our FAQ to understand “Who is a consumer under the Blue Box Regulation?”

RPRA considers an aerosol container to be a non-refillable receptacle that contains a product and a propellant under pressure, and that is fitted with a release device allowing the contents to be ejected as solid or liquid particles in suspension in a gas, or as a foam, paste, powder, liquid, or gas.

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.

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?”

We encourage anybody who believes an entity is a free rider to contact RPRA’s Compliance and Registry Team at 1-833-600-0530 or by emailing registry@rpra.ca with information about that entity. RPRA reviews every free rider allegation that is referred to us.

We do not share information about our inspections or progress on specific free rider cases.

See our FAQ to understand “What is a free rider?” and “What is RPRA’s approach to free riders?”

While foam insulating containers were included under the MHSW Program, the HSP Regulation defines a non-refillable pressurized container as a pressurized container that is used for the supply of a gas product.

Foam insulation containers are used to supply an insulating foam, which is not a ‘gas product,’ and therefore they do not meet the definition of a non-refillable pressurized container under the HSP Regulation.

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.

In the Manage PRO section in the Registry, the “Service End Date” is not a mandatory field. You can leave this field blank if there is no end date in your contract. If you decide to change PROs in the future, you can update this field to the date your agreement ended with that PRO.

If you select credit card as your method of payment, this method of payment is done through your Registry account.

Follow these steps to complete your payment:

1. When you are in the payment method section in the Registry, select credit card as your preferred method.
2. Input your credit card details.
3. Click submit and payment will process automatically.

Please note:

• Registry invoices are considered due on receipt.
• Invoices are in CAD funds and payments must be sent in CAD.
• Once your transaction has been approved, your payment will be reflected in your Registry account immediately.

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.

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.

If you select electronic bill payment as your method of payment, this method of payment is done through your online banking account, using the bill payment functionality. It is available at major Canadian banks (e.g., TD, RBC, BMO, Scotiabank, etc.).

Follow these steps to complete your payment:

1. Log in to your bank account.
2. Go to the bill payment section and choose to add a payee.
3. Search for and select “RPRA” as the payee.
4. Once “RPRA” is selected, enter your registration number as the account number to make your payment. Your registration number can be found on your invoice.

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 your payment to be reflected in your Registry account once you have completed it.

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.

If you select cheque as your method of payment, follow these steps to complete your payment:

1. Make your cheque payable to “Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority”
2. Enter your Invoice Number on the memo line of the cheque
3. Please send your cheque to*:

• • Resource Productivity Recovery Authority
  • PO Box 46114, STN A
  • Toronto, ON
  • M5W 4K9

*As of January 20, 2023, the address for mailing cheques to RPRA has been revised. Please update your records and send cheques to the above address going forward.

Please note:

• Registry invoices are considered due on receipt.
• Invoices are in CAD funds and payments must be sent in CAD.
• It may take 2-4 weeks for your payment to be reflected in your Registry account once you have mailed your cheque due to mail and cheque processing times.

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.

If you select electronic data interchange (EDI) as your method of payment, this is an electronic payment through your bank, also commonly known as EFT or ACH.

Follow these steps to complete your payment:

1. Submit your payment using RPRA’s banking information provided on your invoice.
2. Be sure to reference your Invoice Number when you submit this payment to your bank so that we will be able to identify your payment.

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 your payment to be reflected in your Registry account once you have completed it.

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.

A brand is any mark, word, name, symbol, design, device or graphical element, or a combination thereof, including a registered or unregistered trademark, which identifies a product and distinguishes it from other products.

A brand holder is a person who owns or licenses a brand or otherwise has rights to market a product under the brand.

Note:

• If there are two or more brand holders, the producer most directly connected to the production of the material is the brand holder.
• If more than one material produced by different brand holders are marketed as a single package, the producer who is more directly connected to the primary product in the package is the brand holder.

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.

Account admins have access to all information within a registrant’s account. They can create and assign primary and secondary users’ access to the account, edit and submit reports, and pay fees. They are the only ones who can manage PROs.  Account admins can view all activities users undertake. They will also be the recipient of emails from the Registry portal.

Primary users can only assign secondary users’ access to the account, edit and submit reports and pay fees.

Secondary users can only edit and submit reports and pay fees.

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?“

Starting January 1, 2023, RPRA will collect 13% HST on all fees at the time of fee payment.

This decision is based on a ruling RPRA received from the CRA in which HST must be charged on its fees under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 (RRCEA). RPRA has determined that this ruling applies to all RRCEA producer responsibility programs and the Excess Soil and Hazardous Waste programs.

On December 22, 2022, RPRA will reissue invoices that were issued prior to January 1, 2023, amended to indicate that 13% HST was paid. From December 22 onwards, registrants will be able to access the amended invoices in their Registry accounts under a new tab labelled “Invoices”. The amended invoice will show an HST amount as well as the date the amended invoice was reissued.

Important notes:

• On the amended invoices there have been no changes to the Invoice Total and registrants will not be required to pay any additional monies to RPRA for past invoices.
• Registrants may be able to claim input tax credits for the HST collected on RPRA fees, for both the amended invoices and new invoices issued January 1, 2023, onwards. However, RPRA is not in a position to provide tax advice and suggests you consult your internal or external accountants to seek their counsel.
• All new invoices issued effective January 1, 2023, will contain appropriate information identifying the amount of the HST and other relevant details. These invoices will also be displayed under the “Invoices” tab in a registrants’ Registry account.

Registrants can access past invoices in their Registry account under a new tab labelled “Invoices”. A banner will be displayed that highlights whether an invoice has been amended to include HST as well as the date the amended invoice was reissued. This will show on all invoices with an invoice date before December 21, 2022. See sample screenshot below.

Registrants can access past invoices in their Registry account under a new tab labelled “Invoices”. See sample screenshot below.

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.

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

Registry Resources such as Registry Procedures, Compliance Bulletins, and Reporting Guides can be found on our Hazardous and Special Products Registry Resources webpage.

No. Effective February 6, 2023, RPRA will no longer accept requests for extensions to registration or reporting deadlines. Obligated parties should make every effort to ensure they meet all submission deadlines as part of their obligations under their associated regulation.

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

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.

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.

A Verifier can be an individual, either an employee of the business or a hired third-party (including a PRO), who has one of the following designations and is not the same person who prepared the supply report:

• CPA (Chartered Professional Accountants) in Canada or CPA (Certified Public Accountant) in the US
• ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accounts) Qualification
• CIA (Certified Internal Auditor)
• CPB (Certified Professional Bookkeeper) in Canada
• RPA (Registered Professional Accountant) in Canada

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

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

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

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 require a password reset, they can reach out to the account admin or primary user to do so. 

See FAQ: How can I reset a password in the registry? 

The account admin or primary user navigates to the program homepage of which the user requiring a password reset is enrolled in. The account admin or primary user then clicks their username at the top right of the page to show the drop-down list and selects Manage Users. 

In the Active Users table, the account admin or primary user clicks Reset Password on the row for the user they want to reset the password for and clicks Confirm. 

The user’s password has now been reset. They will receive an email with a password reset link. 

Note: the password reset link will expire within 24 hours. If the link expires before the user creates a new password, the account admin or primary must click “Reset Password” again to restart the process. 

See the FAQ: Who can reset passwords in the registry?  

If you need to change an email address in your registry account, please contact the Compliance Team at registry@rpra.ca. Registry users cannot update email addresses themselves; this can only be completed by RPRA.

All remote and fly-in First Nation communities can access the Hazardous Special Products (HSP, formerly known as Household Hazardous Waste) producer-run program.

All other producer-run recycling programs are only accessible to communities south of the Far North Boundary.

For more information about recycling programs in First Nation Communities, visit our Recycling in First Nation Communities webpage.

Also see our FAQ: ‘What is the Far North Boundary?’

No. Recycling drop-off locations displayed on the map cannot:​

• charge the public a fee to drop off materials that the location accepts.​
• refuse the drop-off of materials displayed on the map. However, recycling locations can request reasonable requirements when consumers drop off an item to ensure health and safety. For example, sites may require that used oil filters are dropped off in sealed containers, light tubes are taped together, etc.

If you are charged a fee or refused drop off, you can report an issue about that specific location to RPRA (see our other FAQ for further instructions).

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.

RPRA’s Where to Recycle map displays locations across Ontario where the public can drop off used materials to be recycled, such as batteries, electronics, household hazardous waste (e.g., paint, antifreeze, pesticides), lighting and tires, for free. Materials collected at these locations are reused, refurbished, recycled, or properly disposed of to help keep them out of landfill, recover valuable resources and protect our environment. Learn more here.

The Where to Recycle map displays locations that the public can drop off used materials to be recycled, such as batteries, electronics, household hazardous waste (e.g., paint, antifreeze, pesticides), lighting and tires, for free. For specific examples of materials accepted and important information to know before dropping off materials, visit the Where to Recycle map.

If you experience an issue when dropping off your recyclables at a location displayed on the map, click the ‘Report an Issue’ link on that specific location. This link will open a form for you to fill out about the issue. RPRA’s Compliance Team will review the issue reported and take action, as necessary.​
​
You may report an issue to RPRA because the recycling location:  ​

• Charges you a fee to drop off materials accepted for recycling.​
• *Refuses to accept your materials for recycling (only applicable if your materials are in line with the examples provided on the map).​
• Displayed on the map does not actually exist.​
• Is not open to the public or does not accept the materials during its business hours.

*Note: Recycling locations can request reasonable requirements when consumers drop off an item to ensure health and safety. For example, sites may require that used oil filters are dropped off in sealed containers, light tubes are taped together, etc.

Typically, only municipal depots may require valid IDs when dropping off materials to recycle to confirm you live in that municipality. It is recommended to bring your ID with you to any location, just in case.

The recycling locations that appear on the map are reported to RPRA by businesses that run the recycling systems in Ontario.

The recycling locations that appear on the map are reported to RPRA by PROs (or producers managing their own collection networks) as the administrators of the collection systems. The public collection activities that PROs report in their registry account are uploaded to the map in near real-time.

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.​

Registrants may request that a Deputy Registrar review a Compliance Order issued to them by an inspector. The request must be made, in writing, by the registrant to a Deputy Registrar within seven days of being served with the order. The request must include:

• The parts of the order that the request for review pertains to;
• Any submissions the person requesting the review wants considered; and
• An address (physical or electronic) where the person can be served with the Deputy Registrar’s decision.

A Deputy Registrar will then review the order and can revoke, confirm, or amend the inspector’s order.

Deputy Registrars must either issue their decision or provide notice that more time is needed within seven days of receiving the request. If a Deputy Registrar provides notice that more time is needed, they must stay (put on hold) the order while it is under review, and the Deputy Registrar must issue their decision within 90 days.

If a Deputy Registrar does not issue a decision or provide notice that more time is needed within seven days of receiving the request for review, the order will remain as originally issued.

Note: This FAQ is for general information only and should not be considered legal advice. Please review the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 and associated regulations for details.

See the FAQ: ‘Can I appeal a Compliance Order issued to me?’ for information on appealing a compliance order.

Registrants who receive a Notice of Intention to issue an Administrative Penalty Order may request that the Registrar or a Deputy Registrar consider additional information before they decide to issue the order. A registrant may ask the Registrar or a Deputy Registrar to review:

• Additional information related to the contravention;
• Any information relevant to the determination of the penalty amount; or
• Any actions you have taken to remedy the contravention since it occurred.

The request must be made to the Registrar or a Deputy Registrar, in writing, within 21 days of the notice of intention being served on the registrant. All additional information and supporting documentation that the registrant would like the Registrar or Deputy Registrar to consider should be included in the request.

The Registrar or Deputy Registrar must then consider the information in the request and determine whether or not to issue an order. If the Registrar or Deputy Registrar decides not to issue the order, they must notify the registrant of this decision.

See RPRA’s Administrative Penalties Guideline for further information or the FAQ: ‘Can I appeal an Administrative Penalty Order issued to me?’ for information on appealing an administrative penalty order.

Note: This FAQ is for general information only and should not be considered legal advice. Please review the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 and associated regulations for details.

Registrants may appeal an Administrative Penalty Order issued to them to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). The registrant must serve written notice of their intention to appeal to the OLT and to the Registrar or a Deputy Registrar within 15 days of being served the order. The order will be temporarily stayed (put on hold) until a decision is rendered by the tribunal. The notice must include:

• The parts of the order that the appeal pertains to; and
• The grounds on which the person appealing the order intends to rely at the hearing.

The OLT will hold a hearing, and the OLT may confirm, vary, or revoke the order. The OLT cannot vary the amount of the penalty unless it considers the amount to be unreasonable.

After a matter is decided by the OLT, the registrant or RPRA may appeal the OLT’s decision to the Divisional Court, but only on a question of law and with leave (permission) of the Divisional Court. If a party obtains leave, the appeal of the OLT decision will be heard by the Divisional Court. This process is governed by the Rules of Civil Procedure. The OLT’s decision is not automatically stayed by an appeal to the Divisional Court, but a stay may be granted by the OLT or the Court.

See RPRA’s Administrative Penalties Guideline for further information.

Note: This FAQ is for general information only and should not be considered legal advice. Please review the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 and associated regulations for details.

If a Compliance Order is issued to a registrant by the Registrar or a Deputy Registrar, or if the registrant receives a decision from a Deputy Registrar issued as a result of a Request for Review of an inspector’s order, the registrant can appeal the order to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). The registrant must serve written notice of their intention to appeal to the Registrar or Deputy Registrar who made the order and to the OLT within 15 days of being served with the order. The notice must include:

• The parts of the order that the appeal pertains to; and
• The grounds on which the person appealing the order intends to rely at the hearing.

The OLT will hold a hearing. The OLT may decide to confirm, vary, or revoke the order.

After a matter is decided by the OLT, the registrant or RPRA may appeal the OLT’s decision to the Divisional Court, but only on a question of law and with leave (permission) of the Divisional Court. If a party obtains leave, the appeal of the OLT decision will be heard by the Divisional Court. This process is governed by the Rules of Civil Procedure. The OLT’s decision is not automatically stayed (put on hold) by an appeal to the Divisional Court, but a stay may be granted by the OLT or the Court.

Note: This FAQ is for general information only and should not be considered legal advice. Please review the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 and associated regulations for details.

Under Ontario’s circular economy laws, businesses that produce or supply batteries, electronics, household hazardous waste, lighting, and tires are required to provide recycling locations and report them to RPRA. Only locations reported to RPRA appear on the map.

Recycling locations you’re already aware of that don’t appear on the map most likely collect materials not listed above or are operated by a municipality who aren’t required to report recycling locations to RPRA.

Large producers for supply data verification

Producers whose average supply meets the large producer threshold in the below chart must submit a verification report for that reporting year.

Example: Producers of oil filters that have an average weight of supply in their 2023 supply report that exceeds 100 tonnes are considered a large producer and must submit a verification report for oil filters in 2024.

Small producers for supply data verification

Producers who are below the threshold are considered small producers. Small producers are only required to submit a verification report but will be subject to inspections.

When to register as a producer 

Producers of oil filters and non-refillable pressurized containers, oil containers, antifreeze, pesticides, refillable pressurized containers, solvents, paints and coatings  

If the producer’s average weight of supply in 2018, 2019, 2020 was above the threshold in the table below, the producer was required to register with RPRA by November 30, 2021. Obligated producers who have not yet registered are out of compliance with the regulation and may face compliance action by RPRA. 

If a producer was not required to register in 2021, they must register on or before July 31 of the first calendar year that they exceed the threshold in the table below. 

For assistance in calculating your average weight of supply, contact RPRA’s Compliance Team at registry@rpra.ca.  

Producers of mercury-containing barometers, thermometers and thermostats, fertilizers and refillable propane containers

If a producer met the definition of an HSP producer in 2021, they were required to register with RPRA by November 31, 2021.

If you meet the definition of an HSP producer after November 31, 2021, you must register with RPRA within 30 days. 

How to register as a producer

1. Go to RPRA’s Registry at https://registry.rpra.ca/s/login/?language=en_US 
   • Note: The Registry will not work with the Internet Explorer web browser. Google Chrome is the recommended web browser to use.
2. Click “Don’t have an Account? Create a new Account”.
3. Follow the prompts to fill out your account details. 
   • Information needed at time of registration: 
     • CRA business number, business name, address, contact information, and 
     • Name, contact information of the person who will be responsible for completing registration.
4. You’ll receive an email with a link to create your password.
5. Select the program you want to enroll in.
6. Submit a supply report with the total weight of each type of HSP that was supplied to consumers in Ontario in the previous years. 

For more information and step by step instructions on how to submit a supply report, view our supply reporting guides here. 

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.

Collection sites for batteries, electronics, household hazardous waste, lighting, and tires that are reported by producers, or PROs on their behalf, appear on the map.

Collection sites that are considered private (e.g. a recycling bin inside a business that is not accessible to the public) do not appear on the map.

Collection site names are taken from Google Maps. If the name is wrong, request to change it through the map directly by:

• looking up the location,
• clicking the location,
• clicking the ‘Report an issue for this location’ link, and
• filling out the form by providing the correct name.

Only your PRO can update collection site addresses. Ask your PRO to remove the old address from their collection network and add the new address.

The Compliance Team is unable to make changes to the address of a site that has been reported.

Business hours are taken from Google Maps. If the information on Google Maps is incorrect, update your Google account information by following these steps. Note: there may be a delay between the time you update your information in Google and it showing on RPRA’s map.

If the information on Google Maps is correct and not showing on the Where to Recycle map, request to change it through the map directly by:

• looking up the location,
• clicking the location,
• clicking the ‘Report an issue for this location’ link, and
• filling out the form by providing the correct business hours.

Phone numbers are taken from Google Maps. If the information on Google Maps is incorrect, update your Google account information by following these steps. Note: there may be a delay between the time you update your information in Google and it showing on RPRA’s map.

If the information on Google Maps is correct and not showing on the Where to Recycle map, request to change it through the map directly by:

• looking up the location,
• clicking the location,
• clicking the ‘Report an issue for this location’ link, and
• filling out the form by providing the correct phone number.

Websites are taken from Google Maps. If the information on Google Maps is incorrect, update your Google account information by following these steps. Note: there may be a delay between the time you update your information in Google and it showing on RPRA’s map.

If the information on Google Maps is correct and not showing on the Where to Recycle map, request to change it through the map directly by:

• looking up the location,
• clicking the location,
• clicking the ‘Report an issue for this location’ link, and
• filling out the form by providing the correct website link.

Wrong materials showing

If your site doesn’t collect the material(s) listed on the map, you can submit a request to change it through the map directly by:

• looking up the location,
• clicking the location,
• clicking the ‘Report an issue for this location’ link, and
• filling out the form by providing which materials should be removed.

Materials not showing

If you collect more materials than what is listed on the map, contact your PRO and they’ll update your collection site information.

If you aren’t already working with a PRO for a specific material and want to add a material to your collection site, you can find a list of PROs and contact information on the applicable program page of RPRA’s website.

First, contact your PRO to confirm if the collection site should be considered private or if it can be removed entirely from their collection system. If they confirm it can be removed from the system, ask them to deactivate it so it no longer appears on the map.

If you aren’t working with a PRO, request to remove your collection site through the map directly by:

• looking up the location,
• clicking the location,
• clicking the ‘Report an issue for this location’ link, and
• filling out the form asking to remove the collection site.

A public collection site must be readily accessible to the public and accept designated used materials during regular business hours. Publicly accessible collection sites and events appear on the Where to Recycle map.

A private collection site (e.g. office or school that collects designated materials) does not need to be publicly accessible. Private collection sites do not appear on the map.

Read this related FAQ: What does it mean for a collection site to be readily accessible to the public?

If your collection site isn’t part of a PRO’s collection network, it won’t appear on the map. The map populates collection sites with data entered by producers or PROs on their behalf.

If you are working with a PRO and your site is not listed on the map, contact your PRO.

If you aren’t already working with a PRO and want to add your collection site to the map, you can find a list of PROs and their contact information on the applicable program page of RPRA’s website.

Municipalities are required to accept materials from the sectors identified in their Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA). Municipalities are not required to accept more than what their ECA requires them to.

To delete a duplicate collection site, submit a request through the map directly by:

• looking up the location,
• clicking the location,
• clicking the ‘Report an issue for this location’ link, and
• filling out the form by asking to remove the duplicate collection site.

If the request is for multiple locations, contact the Compliance Team at registry@rpra.ca with the following information:

• the issue,
• name and address for each collection site, and
• your contact information.

To update the type of collection site, submit a request through the map directly by:

• looking up the location,
• clicking the location,
• clicking the ‘Report an issue for this location’ link, and
• filling out the form by providing the correct collection site type.

If the request is for multiple locations, contact the Compliance Team at registry@rpra.ca with the following information:

• the issue,
• name and address for each collection site, and
• your contact information.

Battery, electronics, lighting and tire collection sites must be operated during regular business hours throughout the calendar year.

Household hazardous waste collection sites may open seasonally. The Where to Recycle map should reflect the time of the year when the collection site operates.

If a producer or service provider needs to adjust the performance data reported to RPRA, they must contact the Compliance 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., tonnage purchase or sale contract, 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 as possible to ensure that it has accurate performance data from all registrants.

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.