Frequently Asked Questions

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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.
  • Local municipalities and local services boards are not required to submit Change Reports to update information provided in their Initial or Transition Reports. Any changes should be addressed with Circular Materials in their role as the Administrator of the common collection system. Contact operations@circularmaterials.ca for more information.

  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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• Program: Blue Box

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

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

  Blue Box materials supplied to a business (e.g., the operators of a long-term care home) are not obligated, however, there are no deductions available for materials supplied to a consumer in an IC&I setting (e.g., a resident of a long-term care home).

  Any Blue Box materials supplied to consumers in Ontario are obligated. Blue Box materials supplied to the IC&I sector are not obligated (except beverage containers which are obligated regardless of the sector supplied into).

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• Program: Blue Box

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

  Toggle the submenu If a marketplace facilitator supplies products for which there is a brand holder resident in Canada, who is the obligated producer?

  The brand holder is the obligated producer.

  A marketplace facilitator only becomes obligated for products supplied through its marketplace where the producer would have been a retailer. If the producer is a brand holder or an importer, they remain the obligated producer even when products are distributed by a marketplace facilitator.

  A retailer is a business that supplies products to consumers, whether online or at a physical location.

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• Program: Blue Box , Hazardous and Special Products

  Topic: Management activities , Producer , Reporting

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

  No, products or packaging designated as Hazardous and Special Products (HSP) are not obligated under the Blue Box Regulation. For example, primary packaging for paints and coatings are HSP and therefore not obligated as Blue Box materials.

  Some packaging for HSP products may still be obligated. For example, the packaging that contains an oil filter is obligated as Blue Box materials.

  Consult the HSP Regulation or the Compliance and Registry Team for further information.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Collection systems , Producer , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu Is transport packaging that is removed by a retail location and not supplied to the consumer obligated?

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

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