Frequently Asked Questions

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Municipalities , Producer

  Toggle the submenu What revenue should municipalities consider when determining whether or not they are an exempt producer?

  There is an exemption in the Blue Box Regulation for producers whose gross annual revenue generated from products and services in Ontario is less than $2 million. The following sources are excluded for the purpose of determining revenue:

  • Government tax revenue
  • Property taxes
  • General assistance funding received under the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund
  • Payments in lieu of taxes
  • Canadian or Ontarian government grants available to municipalities with the intent of investing in public infrastructure

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer

  Toggle the submenu Are there any differences in Blue Box producer hierarchies between the current Stewardship Ontario program and the new Blue Box Regulation?

  Yes, there have been some key changes to the producer hierarchies which may affect what a producer is obligated for and should be considered if using data previously reported to Stewardship Ontario:

  • If a retailer is determined to be the producer based on hierarchies, but they are a marketplace seller, the marketplace facilitator is the obligated producer.
  • Brand holders that are resident in Canada are obligated, which varies from the Stewardship Ontario program where brand holders that are resident in Ontario are obligated.

  See our FAQ to understand “Who is a marketplace facilitator?”.

   

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer

  Toggle the submenu What am I required to do as a Blue Box producer?

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

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

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer

  Toggle the submenu Who is a marketplace facilitator under the Blue Box Regulation?

  A marketplace facilitator is a person who contracts with a marketplace seller to facilitate the supply of the marketplace seller’s products by:

  • Owning or operating an online consumer-facing marketplace or forum in which the marketplace seller’s products are listed or advertised for supply and where offer and acceptance are communicated between a marketplace seller and a buyer (e.g., a website), and
  • Providing for the physical distribution of a marketplace seller’s products to the consumer (e.g., storage, preparation, shipping of products).

  Under the Blue Box Regulation, if a retailer (online or at a physical location) is determined to be the producer based on hierarchies, but they are a marketplace seller, the marketplace facilitator is the obligated producer. A marketplace seller is a person who contracts with a marketplace facilitator to supply its products.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: General , Producer

  Toggle the submenu Who is a consumer under the Blue Box Regulation?

  Under the Blue Box Regulation, consumers are individuals who use a product and its packaging for personal, family or household purposes, or persons who use a beverage and its container for personal, family, household, or business purposes.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: First Nation communities , Registration

  Toggle the submenu Does a First Nation need to register with the Authority to receive Blue Box services? And if so, how can a First Nation register?

  First Nation communities interested in receiving producer-run Blue Box services must register with the Authority. To register, communities must submit contact information of the person responsible for waste management in the community using the First Nation community registration form. Once completed, the registration form should be submitted by email to registry@rpra.ca.

  Visit our First Nation webpage for more information.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: First Nation communities , Municipalities , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu Do I have to submit the Blue Box Initial and Transition Reports if I submitted my 2020 Datacall?

  Yes, all eligible communities must submit these reports to the Authority. The Datacall is the source of data for determining the net Blue Box system cost and for allocating funding under the Blue Box Program Plan. The Initial and Transition reports are for a separate and distinct program than Datacall and are required under the new Blue Box Regulation, which requires eligible communities to submit these reports.

  While some of the required information in these reports was reported to Datacall, much of the information was not. Where there is overlap between what was reported to Datacall and the information that is required in these reports, please see the guidance below on where to find this information in your Datacall report.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: First Nation communities , General , Municipalities , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu What reports need to be completed by municipalities and First Nations under the Blue Box Regulation, and who needs to complete these reports?

  There are three reports for eligible communities under the Blue Box Regulation: an Initial Report, a Transition Report and Change Reports.

  • The Initial Report will be submitted by all communities in 2021. It will provide an overview of the communities and of the WDTA Blue Box program that operates in that community.
  • The Transition Report will be submitted by communities 2 years prior to their transition year. It provides more detailed information about the WDTA Blue Box program that operates in the community.
  • Change Reports will be used by communities when there are changes to the information that they submitted in either the Initial Report or Transition Report. At this time, the requirements and formats for change reports have not yet been established. RPRA will provide guidance in the future.

  These reports need to be completed by all eligible communities under the Blue Box Regulation.

  An eligible community is a local municipality or local services board area that is not located in the Far North, or a reserve that is registered by a First Nation with the Authority and not located in the Far North.

  • The Far North has the same meaning as in the Far North Act, 2010. To determine whether a community is in the Far North, use this link.
  • A local municipality means a single-tier municipality or a lower-tier municipality. A local services board has the same meaning as “Board” in the Northern Services Boards Act.
  • A First Nation means a council of the Band as referred to in subsection 2(1) of the Indian Act (Canada).

  If you are an upper-tier municipality or waste association, these reports must be submitted separately for each eligible community in your program.

  Visit the Municipal and First Nation webpages for more information.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: First Nation communities , General , Municipalities , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu Why do municipalities and First Nations have to report under the Blue Box Regulation?

  Sections 54 and 55 of the Blue Box Regulation require municipalities and First Nations to submit the information in the Initial Report and Transition Report to the Authority.

  Under the Blue Box Regulation, producers will be fully responsible for the collection and management of Blue Box materials that are supplied into Ontario. To ensure that all communities continue to receive Blue Box collection services, communities will be allocated to producers, or PROs on their behalf, who are obligated to provide collection services. The information that is submitted in the Initial and Transition Reports will be used by PROs to plan for collection in each eligible community.

  The Authority will also use the information provided by municipalities and First Nations to ensure that producers are complying with their collection obligations under the Blue Box Regulation.

  It is important that municipalities and First Nations complete these reports accurately so that all eligible sources (residences, facilities, and public spaces) in their communities continue to receive Blue Box collection after their community transitions to full producer responsibility.

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• Program: Batteries , Blue Box , Hazardous and Special Products , ITT/AV , Lighting , Tires

  Topic: General , PRO , Registration

  Toggle the submenu Does RPRA vet PROs that register to ensure that they are viable options for producers to meet their requirements under the regulation?

  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.

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