Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ filtered results:

• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Collection systems , Collector , Producer

  Toggle the submenu Are there are any differences in obligated Blue Box materials between the current Stewardship Ontario program and the new Blue Box Regulation?

  Yes, there are several newly obligated packaging/products under the Blue Box Regulation, including:

  • Unprinted paper
  • Packaging-like products, such as aluminum foil, metal trays, wrapping paper, paper bags, cardboard boxes and envelopes
  • Service accessories, such as straws, cutlery or plates that are supplied with a food or beverage product
  • Durable products, such as CD cases, box board for board games/puzzles and power tool cases

  Note: Another change is that beverage containers are obligated regardless of the sector they are supplied into (personal, family, household, or business purposes).

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer

  Toggle the submenu Are there exemptions for Blue Box producers?

  Under the Blue Box Regulation, there are three types of exemptions that apply to producers:

  1. Based on a producer’s gross annual revenue,
  2. based on the weight of Blue Box materials supplied into Ontario, and
  3. for producers of newspaper

  1. Any producer whose gross annual Ontario revenue from products and services is less than $2,000,000 is exempt from all producer requirements under the regulation. In the case where the producer is a franchisor, it is the gross annual revenue of the system that is used to determine if an exemption applies.

  Any producer who meets the exemption must keep any records that demonstrate its gross annual Ontario revenue is less than $2,000,000 in a paper or electronic format that can be examined or accessed in Ontario for a period of five years from the date of creation.

  See our FAQs to understand what revenues municipalities and registered charities should consider when determining whether or not they are an exempt producer.

  2. A producer who is above the revenue-based exemption level may still be exempt from performance requirements (collection, management and promotion and education) if their supply weight is below the exemption levels outlined in the table below.

  

  If a producer’s annual revenue is more than $2,000,000 and supply weight in all material categories is less than the tonnage exemption threshold, the producer is required to register and report.

  If a producer’s annual revenue is more than $2,000,000 and supply weight in at least one material category is above the tonnage exemption threshold, the producer is required to meet all obligations (registration, reporting, collection, management, and promotion and education). However, producers are only required to meet their minimum management requirement in material categories where they are above the exemption level.

  3. As outlined in the amended Blue Box Regulation (released April 19, 2022), producers of newspapers may be exempt from collection, management, and promotion and education requirements. For the purposes of this exemption, “newspapers” includes newspapers and any protective wrapping and any supplemental advertisements and inserts that are provided along with the newspapers.

  For a producer to qualify for this exemption, newspapers must account for more than 70% of their total weight of Blue Box materials supplied to consumers in Ontario in a calendar year. If exempt, the producer is not required to meet collection, management, and promotion and education requirements for all Blue Box materials they supply in Ontario in the following two calendar years.

  A producer whose newspaper supply accounts for 70% or less of their total weight of Blue Box materials is subject to collection, management, and promotion and education requirements for all Blue Box materials they supply in Ontario.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer

  Toggle the submenu What revenue should registered charities consider when determining whether or not they are an exempt 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 Box

  Topic: Municipalities , Producer

  Toggle the submenu What revenue should municipalities consider when determining whether or not they are an exempt 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 Box

  Topic: Producer

  Toggle the submenu Are there any differences in Blue Box producer hierarchies between the current Stewardship Ontario program and the new Blue Box Regulation?

  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 Box

  Topic: Producer

  Toggle the submenu What am I required to do as a Blue Box 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: Batteries , Blue Box , Hazardous and Special Products , ITT/AV , Lighting , Tires

  Topic: General , PRO , Registration

  Toggle the submenu Does RPRA vet PROs that register to ensure that they are viable options for producers to meet their requirements under the regulation?

  RPRA does not vet PROs before listing them on the website. Any business that registers as a PRO will be listed. Producers should do their own due diligence when determining which PRO to work with.

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• Program: Blue Box

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

  Toggle the submenu If a marketplace facilitator supplies products for which there is a brand holder resident in Canada, who is the obligated producer?

  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 Products

  Topic: Management activities , Producer , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu Are containers that are obligated under the Hazardous and Special Products (HSP) Regulation obligated as Blue Box materials?

  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 Box

  Topic: Producer , Registration , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu Am I a producer of paper products or packaging-like products?

  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 from outside of Ontario
  • 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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