Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ filtered results:
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Producer , Registration , Registry , Reporting
For the purpose of reporting annual supply data under the Blue Box Regulation, the weight of newspaper 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.
See our FAQs: “What is a newspaper?” and “Who is a newspaper producer?”
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Program: Batteries , Blue Box , Hazardous and Special Products , ITT/AV , Lighting , TiresTopic: About the Authority , General , Producer
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?”
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Collection systems , Municipalities , PRO , Producer
A “Public space” means an outdoor area in a park, playground or beside/on a sidewalk, a public transit station or stop under municipal or provincial jurisdiction, including a track-level stop, to which the public is normally provided access.
During transition, producers are required to collect Blue Box material from public space receptacles in eligible communities that were provided collection service under the WDTA program.
The definition of a “public space” in the Blue Box Regulation is broader than the definition used in the Datacall for WDTA municipal funding purposes. For the purpose of collection services during transition, producers must collect from eligible communities’ public space receptacles collected as part of a communities’ Blue Box servicing that was funded under the WDTA Blue Box program (i.e., those along residential routes).
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Processor , Registration
No. If your business does not conduct resource recovery activities as its primary purpose, there is no requirement to register as a processor with the Authority.
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Processor , Registration
Processors need to provide the following information when registering with the Authority:
- Business information (e.g., business name, contact information)
- Processing site location, contact information and Blue Box materials received and processed at each location
- Any producers or PROs the processor has contracted with
Visit our Blue Box Processors webpage for more information.
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Program: Batteries , Blue Box , Hazardous and Special Products , ITT/AV , Lighting , TiresTopic: Collector , Hauler , PRO , Processor , Registration , Retreader , RPRA Program and Registry Fees
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.
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Processor
You are a Blue Box processor if you process Blue Box material that was supplied to a consumer in Ontario for the purposes of resource recovery.
For the purpose of resource recovery, processing includes, and is not limited to:
- Sorting
- Baling
- Paper and cardboard shredding
- Plastic reprocessing include grinding, washing, pelletizing, compounding, etc.
- Crushed glass reprocessing
- Aluminum and steel reprocessing
See our FAQs to understand “Who is a consumer under the Blue Box Regulation”.
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Program: Batteries , Blue Box , Hazardous and Special Products , ITT/AV , Lighting , TiresTopic: PRO , Producer , Reporting
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.
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Program: Batteries , Blue Box , ITT/AV , LightingTopic: Management activities , Producer
In determining whether an obligated producer used best efforts to meet their management requirements, the Compliance Team will consider whether the producer, acting in good faith, took all reasonable steps to meet the requirements outlined in the applicable regulation.
For example, best efforts in the context of management requirements may involve a producer regularly monitoring the volume of material being collected and managed, and implementing plans for increasing those volumes if the requirements are unlikely to be met.
Producers can contact the Compliance Team to ask specific questions about fulfilling their obligations.
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Collection systems , Management activities , PRO , Producer , Registration
Yes, a producer can change PROs at any time. Producers must notify RPRA of any change in PROs within 30 days of the change.