Frequently Asked Questions

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer

  Toggle the submenu Who is the obligated producer for blue box packaging on unbranded products?

  Unbranded products are products that do not have any mark, word, name, symbol, design, device or graphical element, or any combination of these, including a registered or unregistered trademark, which identifies a product and distinguishes it from other products.

  The retailer who supplied the product to a consumer in Ontario, either online or at a physical location, is the obligated producer for the supply of Blue Box packaging on that unbranded product.

  For example: A cucumber in plastic film sold at a grocery store that does not have any stickers, labeling or any other information associated with a brand is considered unbranded. As the retailer for that unbranded product, the grocery store is the obligated producer for the packaging supplied with the cucumber.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer

  Toggle the submenu Who is a newspaper producer?

  A newspaper producer is a person who supplies newspapers to consumers in Ontario. For the purpose of the Blue Box Regulation, newspapers include broadsheet, tabloid or free newspaper. For further information, see the FAQ: What is a newspaper?

  Note that a producer of supplemental advertisements or flyers that are supplied with a newspaper would not be considered a newspaper producer as they do not supply the actual broadsheet, tabloid, or free newspaper. This producer cannot use the newspaper exemption percentage to be exempt from Blue Box collection and management requirements. See the FAQ: Are there exemptions for Blue Box producers?

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu What must a producer demonstrate to deduct materials that are supplied, used, or consumed and disposed of at a non-eligible source (e.g., an arena, a college or university campus, or a food court)?

  Under the Blue Box Regulation, allowable deductions for producers include Blue Box materials that are deposited into a receptacle at a location that is not an eligible source and where the product related to the Blue Box material was supplied to a consumer and used or consumed.

  This applies to locations such as arenas, college and university campuses and food courts.

  A producer must demonstrate the following with regards to an allowable deduction:

  1. They are the obligated producer for the materials for which they are claiming a deduction, and the weight of those materials was included in their reported supply data.
  2. The materials were supplied onsite to a consumer for personal, family or household purposes.
  3. The same materials that were supplied, were used or consumed onsite and disposed of in a receptacle onsite.

  Blue Box materials that were disposed of in a building’s receptacles but were not supplied and used or consumed within that physical building are not deductible. This deduction applies to all Blue Box materials supplied for personal, family or household, but not those supplied for business purposes. This deduction is not available for beverage containers.

  This does not reduce the obligation of a producer to provide complete and accurate supply data or limit the ability of an Authority inspector to review the data and related records for the purpose of determining compliance.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: First Nation communities

  Toggle the submenu My community is not sure whether it wants to participate in the producer-run Blue Box system. Are we required to participate?

  No, First Nations are not required to participate. First Nations can choose if the producer-run Blue Box system is the best option for their community. One of RPRA’s roles in overseeing the Blue Box program is to provide as much information as possible to support a community’s informed decision.

  If your community is still undecided about whether or not to register, we encourage you to reach out to a Compliance Officer at registry@rpra.ca with your questions or to get more information.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: First Nation communities

  Toggle the submenu My community does not have a Blue Box program and would like to participate in the producer-run Blue Box system. Where do I start?

  If your community is south of the Far North boundary, you can complete the registration form and email it to registry@rpra.ca to express your community’s interest in participating in the producer-run Blue Box program. A Compliance Officer will reach out to you to discuss the reporting and offer process, confirm the information provided in the registration form, and answer any questions you may have.

  Communities in this situation are eligible to receive recycling collection services starting January 1, 2026.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: First Nation communities

  Toggle the submenu How can my community change its transition date?

  There is no requirement for a First Nation community to formally change its transition date. If a community is not ready to report and/or participate in the offer process with the PROs by the initial transition date or the date outlined in the Transition Schedule, the community can indicate that to RPRA and we will work with you and the PROs to track when your community is ready to move forward in the process.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: First Nation communities

  Toggle the submenu What does a “transition date” mean?

  First Nation communities that currently operate a Blue Box program and have registered their interest with RPRA in participating in the new producer-run Blue Box program can engage with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to discuss a transition date. The transition date represents the earliest date that the producer responsibility organizations (or PROs) are required to provide collection services on behalf of producers to the community within the transition period (July 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025). See the transition schedule.

  The transition date is not a deadline for a community to accept an offer from the PROs. If a community’s reporting and offer process extends past its transition date, the PROs are required to provide producer-run Blue Box collection services within three months of the community’s offer being signed.

  See FAQ: What is a PRO?

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

  Topic: Producer , Registration , Registry , Reporting , RPRA Program and Registry Fees

  Toggle the submenu Can a producer choose to work with an external consultant?

  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.

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

  Topic: Producer

  Toggle the submenu Where a producer is exempt, do the obligations for the materials for which they are the producer become the responsibility of the organization that is next in the producer hierarchy?

  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.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu How do newspaper producers report their supply of newspapers?

  For the purpose of reporting supply data under the Blue Box Regulation, the weight of newspaper, including any protective wrapping and supplemental advertisements and inserts, must be reported in the appropriate material categories. For example, newsprint must be reported in the ‘paper’ category, while any protective plastic wrapping must be reported as ‘flexible plastic’.

  Then, producers will be asked to indicate what percentage of their total Blue Box material supply was newspaper, including any protective wrapping and supplemental advertisements and inserts, in that calendar year.

  When reporting either their total supply or the percentage of their total supply that is newspaper, a producer should only include the weight of Blue Box materials for which they are the producer. For example, if flyers for which there is a different brand holder resident in Canada are supplied along with a newspaper and those flyers have a different brand holder resident in Canada, their weight should not be reported by the newspaper producer. Instead, it is the brand holder of those flyers who would be required to include the weight of those flyers in their own supply report.

  See our FAQ: “What is a newspaper?”

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