Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ filtered results:
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Producer
There is an exemption in the Blue Box regulation for producers whose gross annual revenue generated from products and services in Ontario less than $2 million. The revenue that counts towards the exemption is revenue from products and services. Charitable donations are not revenue from products and services and therefore does not count towards the exemption. Revenue other than charitable donations that are recorded from registered charities will be considered revenue from products and services.
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Municipalities , Producer
There is an exemption in the Blue Box Regulation for producers whose gross annual revenue generated from products and services in Ontario is less than $2 million. The following sources are excluded for the purpose of determining revenue:
- Government tax revenue
- Property taxes
- General assistance funding received under the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund
- Payments in lieu of taxes
- Canadian or Ontarian government grants available to municipalities with the intent of investing in public infrastructure
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Producer
Yes, there have been some key changes to the producer hierarchies which may affect what a producer is obligated for and should be considered if using data previously reported to Stewardship Ontario:
- If a retailer is determined to be the producer based on hierarchies, but they are a marketplace seller, the marketplace facilitator is the obligated producer.
- Brand holders that are resident in Canada are obligated, which varies from the Stewardship Ontario program where brand holders that are resident in Ontario are obligated.
See our FAQ to understand “Who is a marketplace facilitator?”.
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Producer
As an obligated Blue Box producer, you are required to:
- Register with RPRA
- Report supply data to RPRA annually
- Meet mandatory and enforceable requirements for Blue Box collection systems
- Meet mandatory and enforceable requirements for managing collected Blue Box materials, including meeting a management requirement set out in the regulation
- Meet mandatory and enforceable requirements for promotion and education
- Provide third-party audits of actions taken towards meeting your collection and management requirements, and report on those actions to RPRA through annual performance reports
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Collection systems , Management activities , Producer , Registration , Reporting
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 ProductsTopic: Management activities , Producer , Reporting
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 BoxTopic: Producer , Registration , Reporting
See our FAQs to understand “What are paper products?” and “What are packaging-like products?”.
For paper products and packaging-like products, a person is considered a producer:
- if they are the brand holder of the paper product or packaging-like product and are resident in Canada
- if no resident brand holder, they are resident in Ontario and import the paper product or packaging-like product
- if no resident importer, they are the retailer that supplied the paper product or packaging-like product directly to consumers in Ontario
- if the retailer who would be the producer is a marketplace seller, the marketplace facilitator is the obligated producer
- if the producer is a business that is a franchise, the franchisor is the obligated producer, if that franchisor has franchisees that are resident in Ontario
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Producer , Registration , Reporting
See our FAQ to understand “What is blue box product packaging?”.
Product packaging added to a product can be added at any stage of the production, distribution and supply of the product. A person adds packaging to a product if they:
- make the packaging available for another person to add the packaging to the product
- cause another person to add the packaging to a product
- combine the product and the packaging
For the portion of the product packaging that a brand holder added to the product, a person is considered a producer:
- if they are the brand holder of the product and are resident in Canada
- if no resident brand holder, they are resident in Ontario and import the product
- if no resident importer, they are the retailer that supplied the product directly to consumers in Ontario
- if the retailer who would be the producer is a marketplace seller, the marketplace facilitator is the obligated producer
- if the producer is a business that is a franchise, the franchisor is the obligated producer, if that franchisor has franchisees that are resident in Ontario
For the portion of the product packaging that an importer of the product into Ontario added to the product, a person is considered a producer:
- if they are resident in Ontario and import the product
- if no resident importer, they are the retailer that supplied the product directly to consumers in Ontario
- if the retailer who would be the producer is a marketplace seller, the marketplace facilitator is the obligated producer
- if the producer is a business that is a franchise, the franchisor is the obligated producer, if that franchisor has franchisees that are resident in Ontario
For any portion of the packaging that is not described above, the producer is the retailer who supplied the product to consumers in Ontario.
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Collection systems , General , PRO , Processor , Producer
Under the Blue Box Regulation, blue box product packaging includes:
- Primary packaging is for the containment, protection, handling, delivery and presentation of a product at the point of sale, including all packaging components, but does not include convenience packaging or transport packaging (e.g., film and cardboard used to package a 24-pack of water bottles and the label on the water bottle).
- Transportation packaging which is provided in addition to primary packaging to facilitate the handling or transportation of one or more products such as a pallet, bale wrap or box, but does not include a shipping container designed for transporting things by road, ship, rail or air.
- Convenience packaging includes service packaging and is used in addition to primary packaging to facilitate end users’ handling or transportation of one or more products. It also includes packaging that is supplied at the point of sale by food-service or other service providers to facilitate the delivery of goods and includes items such as bags and boxes that are supplied to end users at check out, whether or not there is a separate fee for these items.
- Service accessories are products supplied with a food or beverage product and facilitate the consumption of that food or beverage product and are ordinarily disposed of after a single use, whether or not they could be reused (e.g., a straw, cutlery or plate).
- Ancillary elements are integrated into packaging (directly hung or attached to packaging) and are intended to be consumed or disposed of with the primary packaging. Ancillary elements help the consumer use the product. Examples of ancillary packaging include a mascara brush forming part of a container closure, a toy on the top of candy acting as part of the closure, devices for measuring dosage that form part of a detergent container cap, or the pouring spout on a juice or milk carton.
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Collection systems , General , PRO , Processor , Producer
Under the Blue Box Regulation, paper products include printed and unprinted paper, such as a newspaper, magazine, greeting cards, calendars (promotional or purchased), notebooks and daily planners, promotional material, directory, catalogue or paper used for copying, writing or any other general use.
Hard or soft cover books and hardcover periodicals are not considered paper products.