Frequently Asked Questions

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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: Tires

  Topic: Producer , Registration , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu How do I determine if I am an exempt tire producer?

  Producers with a collection requirement under 1000 kg are exempt from registering and reporting to RPRA in that calendar year. Producers who meet this exemption are, however, required to retain records for five years.

  To view your collection requirement, log into your Registry account, download a copy of your 2022 Tires Report and review the section with your minimum collection requirements for 2023.

  Producers with a 2023 collection requirement under 1000 kg should contact our Compliance and Registry Team at 833-600-0530 or registry@rpra.ca to determine if their registration should be deactivated.

  To calculate your collection requirement for a given year, use the formula below:

  (Y3 + Y4 +Y5) / 3 x 0.85

  Y3 – the weight of tires supplied in the calendar year three years prior to the collection year

  Y4 – the weight of tires supplied in the calendar year four years prior to the collection year

  Y5 – the weight of tires supplied in the calendar year five years prior to the collection year

  For example, to calculate your 2024 collection requirement, you would input your 2021 (Y3), 2020 (Y4) and 2019 (Y5) supply data.

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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: ITT/AV

  Topic: Producer , Registry , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu For annual supply reporting verification, how do I know if I am a small or large ITT/AV producer?

  For the purposes of ITT/AV supply reporting verification:

  • “Large ITT/AV producer” means an ITT/AV producer with a minimum management requirement greater than or equal to 200,000 kilograms in the previous calendar year.

  To view your management requirements, log into your Registry account, download a copy of your previous year’s Supply Report and review the section with your minimum management requirements for your reporting year.

  Beginning in 2023, only large producers are required to submit a Supply Data Verification Report. Small producers will no longer be required to submit a verification report but will be subject to inspections. Review the Registry Procedure – Verification and Audit for more information.

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• Program: Batteries

  Topic: Producer , Registry , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu For annual supply reporting verification, how do I know if I am a small or large battery producer?

  For the purposes of battery supply reporting verification:

  • “Large single-use battery producer” means a battery producer with a minimum management requirement greater than or equal to 50,000 kilograms of single-use batteries in the previous calendar year.
  • “Large rechargeable battery producer” means a battery producer with a minimum management requirement greater than or equal to 5,000 kilograms of rechargeable batteries in the previous calendar year.

  To view your management requirements, log into your Registry account, download a copy of your previous year’s Supply Report and review the section with your minimum management requirements for your reporting year.

  Beginning in 2023, only large producers are required to submit a Supply Data Verification Report. Small producers will no longer be required to submit a verification report but will be subject to inspections. Review the Registry Procedure – Verification and Audit for more information.

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• Program: Excess Soil

  Topic: Registry , Regulation , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu Do the amendments to the Excess Soil Regulation made in 2022 change anything for me?

  In December 2022, the Government of Ontario finalized amendments to O. Reg. 406/19: On-Site and Excess Soil Regulation (Excess Soil Regulation) and the Rules for Soil Management and Excess Soil Quality Standards (Soil Rules), which came into effect January 1, 2023.

  If a project triggers the filing requirements under the Excess Soil Regulation, the process for filing notices has not changed.
  However, the amended regulation may affect the types of projects for which a notice is required to be filed through the Excess Soil Registry.

  The two key amendments made to the regulation mean:

  • Reuse planning requirements are not triggered for projects defined as “low-risk project areas”, being a property at which the current or last property use was agricultural or other, residential, parkland or institutional (as defined under O. Reg. 153/04), that would otherwise have been triggered to complete reuse planning requirements as a result of being located within an area of settlement and removing at least 2,000m3 of excess soil. Other triggers for reuse planning may still apply.
  • The limit on the maximum size of soil storage piles (previously 2,500 m3) has been removed. Other soil storage rules would continue to apply, including the requirement to prevent any adverse effects.

  If you have questions about the Excess Soil Regulation or the amendments, contact the ministry at MECP.LandPolicy@ontario.ca.

  See our FAQ to see “Who needs to file notices?”

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• Program: Hazardous Waste

  Topic: RPRA Program and Registry Fees

  Toggle the submenu Why must I now pay HST on my Hazardous Waste Program Registry fees, when I never paid HST before?

  RPRA received a ruling from the CRA that HST must be charged on its fees under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 (RRCEA). RPRA has determined that this ruling applies to all RRCEA producer responsibility programs and the Excess Soil and Hazardous Waste programs.

  Before January 1, 2023, you paid Hazardous Waste fees to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Now, you are paying fees to RPRA to cover the costs of building, operating and providing support for the new HWP Registry. These RPRA fees are subject to HST.

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

  Topic: RPRA Program and Registry Fees

  Toggle the submenu How do I know if an invoice has been amended?

  Registrants can access past invoices in their Registry account under a new tab labelled “Invoices”. A banner will be displayed that highlights whether an invoice has been amended to include HST as well as the date the amended invoice was reissued. This will show on all invoices with an invoice date before December 21, 2022. See sample screenshot below.

  

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• Program: Hazardous Waste

  Topic: General , Registry

  Toggle the submenu What is the difference between account admin, primary, secondary, driver and manifest-only users in the Hazardous Waste Program Registry? 

  Each registry account has one account administrator, who is responsible for enrolling the company in programs (e.g., HWP, batteries, etc.) and adding/removing additional account users.   

  There is one primary user for each program enrolment. In HWP, the primary user can add/remove users to the HWP program, add program roles (such as generator, carrier or receiver) and is the point of contact to receive email notifications (such as when a new invoice is available).   

  Secondary users in the HWP can create and edit generator facilities and waste information (generator/AGD roles only); add ECA information and edit contact information (carrier/receiver roles only); create, edit and sign manifests.   

  Driver users are specific to the carrier role in the HWP program. Drivers can create, edit and sign manifests but cannot add ECA information. 

  Manifest-only users, like the driver user role, have a reduced level of access limited to viewing, creating, editing and signing manifests. They cannot view, edit, or manage facilities, or view information related to fees.  

  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, drivers or manifest-only users require a password reset, they can reach out to the account admin or primary user to do so. 

  User Management

  Functionalities	Admin	Primary	Secondary	Driver*	Manifest-only
  Add/remove users across programs	⚫
  Reset passwords for all users across programs	⚫
  Add / remove users to same program	⚫	⚫
  Reset passwords for active users within the same program	⚫	⚫
  Receive invoice notifications	⚫	⚫
  Create / manage facilities	⚫	⚫	⚫
  Create / manage wastes	⚫	⚫	⚫
  View / create / edit and sign manifests	⚫	⚫	⚫	⚫	⚫

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• Program: Lighting

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

  Toggle the submenu How do I determine if I am an exempt lighting producer?

  A lighting producer qualifies for an exemption if their management requirement isn’t more than 350 kg. The lighting producer is exempt from the following:

  • Registering and reporting to RPRA;
  • Establishing a collection and management system and meeting a management requirement; and
  • Promotion and education requirements.

  Management requirements are calculated using the formulas in the table below. For the 2022 reporting period, producers need to determine if they will be exempt for the 2023 performance period.

  Performance Period	Formula	Exemption threshold (kg)	Exempt if average annual supply less than (kg)
  2023	(2018 supply + 2019 supply + 2020 supply) / 3×30%	350	1167
  2024	(2019 supply + 2020 supply + 2021 supply) / 3×30%	350	1167
  2025	(2020 supply + 2021 supply + 2022 supply) / 3×30%	350	1167
  2026	(2021 supply + 2022 supply + 2023 supply) / 3×40%	350	875
  2027	(2022 supply + 2023 supply + 2024 supply) / 3×50%	350	700

  Producers not required to register and report are required to keep records as set out in section 30 of the regulation. Note: The minimum management requirement percentage increases for the 2025 supply report (2026 performance year) and subsequent years. While some producers may be exempt one year, they might not be exempt in subsequent years. Producers must verify that they continue to meet the exemption each year using the table above.

  Producers are encouraged to confirm their exemption with the Compliance Team at registry@rpra.ca or 1-833-600-0530.

  See our FAQ to understand “How are lighting producers’ minimum management requirements determined?” and “What do I have to do if I am an exempt lighting producer?”

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