Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ filtered results:

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

  Topic: Compliance and Enforcement

  Toggle the submenu Can I request a review of a Compliance Order issued to me?

  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.

  Copy this question to clipboard
• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Collection systems

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

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

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

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

  Copy this question to clipboard
• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Collection systems

  Toggle the submenu What is an eligible facility under the Blue Box Regulation?

  Under the WDTA Blue Box program, some municipalities may have chosen to provide Blue Box collection to facilities that were not residences, such as commercial properties, municipally owned and operated buildings or other institutions.

  Under the Blue Box Regulation, only certain types of facilities can receive collection under the producer-run Blue Box program. These facilities are:

  1. Multi-residential facilities with six or more dwelling units
  2. Retirement homes that are operated by a municipality or an entity that does not operate with the purpose of generating a profit or were included in the WDTA Blue Box program on August 15, 2019. “Retirement home” has the same meaning as in the Retirement Homes Act, 2010.
  3. Long-term care homes that are non-profit long-term care homes or were included in the WDTA Blue Box program on August 15, 2019. “Long-term care home” has the same meaning as in the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021. “Non-profit long-term care home” has the same meaning as the regulations under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021.
  4. Buildings that contain public or private elementary or secondary schools. “School” and “private school” have the same meaning as in the Education Act.

  Copy this question to clipboard
• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Collection systems , Where to Recycle map

  Toggle the submenu Why can’t I find a location on the Where to Recycle map for recycling Blue Box materials (e.g., glass, plastic, metal or paper packaging)?

  Blue Box materials (i.e., products and packaging made of metal, glass, paper, flexible plastic, rigid plastic, and beverage containers) are typically collected directly from residences through the provincial Blue Box Program. RPRA’s Where to Recycle map displays public locations for recycling materials that don’t belong in your Blue Box (e.g., batteries, electronics, household hazardous waste, lighting and tires).

  For more information on recycling Blue Box materials, visit Circular Materials’ website. Circular Materials is the administrator of Ontario’s Blue Box collection system.

  Copy this question to clipboard
• Program: Batteries , Blue Box , Excess Soil , Hazardous and Special Products , Hazardous Waste , ITT/AV , Lighting , Tires

  Topic: General , Registry

  Toggle the submenu How can I change an email address 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.

  Copy this question to clipboard
• Program: Batteries , Blue Box , Excess Soil , Hazardous and Special Products , Hazardous Waste , ITT/AV , Lighting , Tires

  Topic: General , Registry

  Toggle the submenu Who can reset passwords in the registry?  

  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? 

  Copy this question to clipboard
• Program: Batteries , Blue Box , Excess Soil , Hazardous and Special Products , Hazardous Waste , ITT/AV , Lighting , Tires

  Topic: General , Registry

  Toggle the submenu 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?  

  Copy this question to clipboard
• Program: Batteries , Blue Box , ITT/AV , Lighting , Tires

  Topic: General , Management activities , Producer

  Toggle the submenu How can I ensure that my products or packaging are collected and sent for management when I don’t know where they end up once a consumer discards them?

  Producers are not required to collect and manage their own branded products and materials. Instead, a producer is expected to collect and manage a portion of similar materials in Ontario. The portion of material that a producer collects and manages is known as their minimum management requirement. A minimum management requirement, which is set based on calculations outlined in the applicable Regulation, is the weight of the products or packaging that the producer must ensure is collected and managed. The calculated amount is proportionate to the weight of materials that producer supplied into the province.

  For example, a producer who supplied laptops into Ontario does not need to collect and manage their own branded laptops. Instead, they must ensure that they collect and manage an equivalent weight of information technology, telecommunications, and audio-visual equipment (ITT/AV) materials.

  Similarly, a producer who supplied cardboard boxes into Ontario does not need to collect and manage those exact cardboard boxes. Rather, they need to ensure that an equivalent weight of paper is collected and managed.

  Almost all producers will work with producer responsibility organizations (PROs) for the purposes of meeting their obligations to collect and manage materials. PROs establish collection and management systems across Ontario for different material types. A producer can meet their obligations to collect and manage materials by entering into a contract with a PRO to provide these services on their behalf.

  Copy this question to clipboard
• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu If we use a delivery company to mail our products or correspondence, who is required to report on the shipping packaging supplied to the consumer?

  Each Blue Box producer is required to report the Blue Box packaging they add to a product.

  For example: a college or university bookstore plans to ship a book to a consumer in Ontario. The bookstore staff packages the book in a small box with the packing slip and inserts the box into a plastic mailer supplied by the delivery service with the required label affixed.

  In this scenario, the college or university is the obligated producer of the small box and packing slip and must report these materials in their supply report, whereas the delivery company is the obligated producer of the plastic mailer and label and must report these materials in their supply report.

  Also see:
  Am I a producer of Blue Box product packaging?

  Copy this question to clipboard
• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Reporting

  Toggle the submenu How is a book defined under the Blue Box Regulation?

  For the purposes of supply reporting, a book is defined as a series of written, printed, or illustrated pages encased in a protective cover bound with glue or sewn with thread.

  If you are unsure whether your product qualifies as a book, please contact RPRA’s Compliance and Registry Team at 1-833-600-0530 or by emailing registry@rpra.ca.

  Also see:
  Compliance Bulletin: What Blue Box materials need to be reported?

  Copy this question to clipboard