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Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ filtered results:
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Program: Datacall
First the Steward Obligation, InKind and Continuous Improvement (CIF) amounts are determined and then the funding is allocated for each municipal program in the MFAM (Municipal Funding Allocation Model). The MFAM uses the following three factors to determine the funding amount for each municipal Blue Box program:
- Best Practices score from Section 2.4 (accounts for 15% of funding)
- Recovered Tonnage of Blue Box materials marketed (accounts for 35% of funding)
- Net Cost of Blue Box program (accounts for 50% of funding)
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Program: Datacall
Yes. RPRA changes the Datacall record according to audit results, where applicable. All efforts are made to ensure these changes are reflected in the reporting year’s Datacall. Municipalities who were audited will receive a copy of their final audit report prior to the next Datacall reporting deadline.
If you have any questions regarding your previous year’s data, contact datacall@rpra.ca.
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Collection systems , General , Management activities , Producer , Reporting
Yes, there are some key changes to the data reported to Stewardship Ontario and what needs to be reported under the new regulation, which may affect what a producer is obligated for and should be considered if using data previously reported to Stewardship Ontario:
- There are fewer reporting categories than under the Stewardship Ontario program
- Certified compostable packaging and products now must be reported separately, but this category does not have management requirements
- There are only two deductions permitted under the Blue Box Regulation, and producers must report total supply and then report any weight to be deducted separately
- Exemptions are based on tonnage supply under each material category instead of a total supply weight threshold of less than 15 tonnes as in Stewardship Ontario’s program
See our FAQ to understand “What deductions are available to producers under the Blue Box Regulation?”; “Are there exemptions for Blue Box producers?“; “Are there any differences in Blue Box producer hierarchies between the current Stewardship Ontario program and the new Blue Box Regulation?”; and “Are there are any differences in obligated Blue Box materials between the current Stewardship Ontario program and the new Blue Box Regulation?”
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: General , Management activities , Producer , Registration , Reporting
RPRA’s Registry fees cover the costs related to compliance and enforcement and other activities required to administer the regulations under the RRCEA, and building and operating the Registry.
The Registry fees cover expenses in a given year (e.g., 2021 fees cover 2021 expenses). 2021 fees for Blue Box cover the Authority’s costs to undertake activities to implement the regulation in 2021, which include:
- helping obligated parties understand their requirements
- ensuring producers register and report their supply data by the deadline in the regulation
- compliance, enforcement, and communication activities
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Program: Blue BoxTopic: Collection systems , Collector , Producer
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 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: ITT/AVTopic: Producer , Reporting
No. The list of products obligated under the EEE Regulation is different from the list of products included in the OES Program. The OES Program required producers to report the number of units they supplied, while the EEE Regulation requires producers to report the total weight of products.
To help producers calculate the weight of their products, we have included weight conversion factors in our Verification and Audit procedure, which is included as a weight conversion tool on the registration form. Once a producer determines the units of products on which they are obligated to report, they can enter the units into the conversion tool to get a calculated weight to report to the Authority.
For more information, see the Determining Supply Data section of the Registry Procedure: EEE Verification and Audit.
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Program: ITT/AVTopic: Producer , Registration
An ITT/AV producer qualifies for an exemption if its management requirement for a performance period is not more than 3.5 tonnes with respect to ITT/AV or not more than 350 kg with respect to lighting. The producer is exempt from the following:
- Registering and reporting to the Authority;
- Establishing a collection and management system and meeting a management requirement; and
- Promotion and education requirements.
The management requirement percentage increases each year in 2023, 2024, and 2025, therefore while you may be exempt in 2021 and 2022, you might not be exempt in subsequent years. Therefore, a producer must verify that they continue to meet the exemption each year.
If a producer is exempt and therefore not required to register with the Authority, they must retain records related to the weight of ITT/AV supplied into Ontario each year and provide them to the Authority upon request.
Producers are encouraged to confirm their exemption with the Compliance Team at 833-600-0530 or registry@rpra.ca.
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Program: ITT/AV , LightingTopic: Producer , Registration
Yes. You are still required to register with the Authority Registry even if you already have an existing account.
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Program: BatteriesTopic: Producer , Registration
A battery producer qualifies for an exemption if its management requirement is less than 1.25 tonnes of rechargeable batteries or less than 2.5 tonnes of single-use batteries. A producer’s management requirement is calculated as a percentage of the weight of batteries supplied into Ontario in a specific period. This calculation changes each year, and therefore producers should verify whether they qualify for an exemption annually.
For information about how to calculate your management requirement, refer to our FAQ, How are battery producer minimum management requirements determined?
A producer who meets the weight exemption is not required to register or report, they must retain records related to the weight of single-use and rechargeable batteries they supplied into Ontario each year and provide them to the Authority on request.
Producers who want to confirm their status as an exempt producer should contact the Compliance Team at registry@rpra.ca or 833-600-0530.