Frequently Asked Questions

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Management activities , Producer , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu What deductions are available to producers under the Blue Box Regulation?

  There are only two allowable deductions for Blue Box materials. There are for materials that are:

  • collected from an eligible source at the time a related product was installed or delivered (e.g., packaging that is removed from the house by a technician installing a new appliance). This is the “installation deduction”.
  • deposited into a receptacle at a location that is collected from a business or institution where Blue Box collection services are not provided under the regulation. This is the “ineligible source deduction” that was expanded by the regulation amendment in July 2023.

  Ineligible source deductions:

  Blue Box Producers may deduct materials that are collected from a business or institution where producers are not required to provide Blue Box collection services. Examples include offices, stores and shopping malls, restaurants, community centres, recreation facilities, sports and entertainment venues, universities and colleges, and manufacturing facilities.

  Producers cannot deduct the following materials collected through the collection systems established under the Blue Box Regulation:

  • Material that is generated at a facility (including multi-residential buildings, retirement homes, long-term care homes and schools).
  • Material that is collected from a residence through a curbside or depot collection service.
  • Material that is collected from a public space (including an outdoor area in a park, playground or sidewalk, or a public transit station).
  • Material collected under an alternative or supplemental collection system.
  • Beverage containers cannot be deducted.

  Materials that are deducted cannot count toward a producer’s management requirement.

  Please see the Reporting Guidance Ineligible Source Deductions for the 2024 Blue Box Supply Report for more information on how to determine and use these deductions.

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer , Reporting

  Toggle the submenu What information do Blue Box producers need to provide when reporting their supply data to RPRA?

  Starting in 2022, producers are required to report their supply data annually to RPRA.

  Each year, producers will need to provide the previous years’ supply data in each of the seven material categories – beverage container, glass material, flexible plastic, rigid plastic, metal material, paper material, and certified compostable products and packaging material – as well as any deductions.

  See our FAQ to understand “What deductions are available to producers under the Blue Box Regulation?”

   

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer , Registration

  Toggle the submenu What information do Blue Box producers need to provide when registering with RPRA?

  Producers are required to provide the following information when registering with RPRA:

  • Contact information
  • PRO information (if a PRO has been retained at time of reporting), including what services they have retained a PRO for
  • Their 2020 supply data in each of the seven material categories– beverage container, glass material, flexible plastic, metal material, paper material, and certified compostable products and packaging material – as well as any deductions.

  Please note that this information must be submitted to RPRA directly.

  See our FAQ to understand “What deductions are available to producers under the Blue Box Regulation?”

   

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• Program: Blue Box

  Topic: Producer , Registration

  Toggle the submenu When do Blue Box producers need to register with RPRA?

  Producers are required to register with RPRA by October 1, 2021, as outlined in the Blue Box Regulation.

  After this date, new businesses are required to register within 30 days of becoming a producer.

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• 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: Collection systems , General , PRO , Processor , Producer

  Toggle the submenu What are the types of Blue Box materials obligated under the Blue Box Regulation?

  The following are the types of Blue Box Materials obligated under the Blue Box Regulation:

  • Blue box packaging (primary, transport, convenience, service accessories, ancillary elements)
  • Paper products
  • Packaging-like products

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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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