Blue Box

First Nation Communities

First Nations communities can register to participate in the Blue Box Program at any time.

To do so, please submit a copy of your community’s Registration Form to registry@rpra.ca.

Download a blank copy of the Registration Form from our Registry Resources page. 

Questions about the Blue Box Program?

We have answers! Read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) here.

In the Blue Box Regulation, an eligible community is a reserve that is:

  • registered by a First Nation with RPRA and not located in the Far North, or
  • a local municipality or local services board area that is not located in the Far North.

All First Nation communities that wish to receive producer-run Blue Box services on their reserve(s) must register with RPRA. This applies to communities that currently provide Blue Box services, either under Stewardship Ontario’s Blue Box Program Plan or outside of the Blue Box Program Plan, and those that do not currently have a program.

First Nation communities with an existing Blue Box collection program were eligible to begin receiving producer-run collection services starting on the dates they requested in the Transition Schedule.

On December 15, 2022, and February 24, 2024, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks updated the Transition Schedule to include some First Nations communities and their reserve(s). The period to discuss a First Nation receiving a transition date has ended.

For First Nation communities that do not currently have a Blue Box program but register to receive producer-run collection services after February 2024, producer responsibility organizations (PROs) are required to begin providing collection services on January 1, 2026, at the earliest if all steps in the registration, reporting and offer process are complete. PROs are the companies that will operate the Blue Box collection system on behalf of producers. Learn more about PROs.

How to register with RPRA

First Nation communities interested in receiving producer-run Blue Box services must register with RPRA. To register, communities must complete the registration form below and email it as an attachment to registry@rpra.ca.

What do First Nation communities need to report?

First Nation communities that have registered with RPRA are required to submit reports that include statistical information about their community and logistical information about their current garbage and Blue Box (if applicable) collection service.

Reports are shared only with Circular Materials, the PRO responsible for engaging with First Nations to develop their offer of Blue Box service or funding.

It is important that First Nations submit their reports as soon as possible to:

  • Ensure band staff have enough time to work through the offer process, including communicating details and obtaining approvals from band administration and/or Chief and Council
  • Ensure Circular Materials has resources available to meet with and develop offers with the First Nation
  • Ensure that Circular Materials has enough time to establish service or funding for the First Nation’s Blue Box program

In July 2024, RPRA officers held a working session to walk through how to complete the report that communities will use to begin receiving Blue Box collection.

First Nation communities with a Blue Box program are required to submit an Initial Report and a Transition Report to provide statistical and logistical information about their garbage and recycling programs.

 

Initial Report

First Nation communities are required to submit the following information as part of the Initial Report:

  1. The number of residents and residences in the eligible community.
  2. The municipality, local services board, First Nation or other entity that provides the WDTA Blue Box Program and garbage collection in the eligible community.
  3. The contact information of the person responsible for waste management in the eligible community.
  4. The number of residences that received collection services pursuant to the WDTA Blue Box Program in the eligible community.
  5. The criteria or conditions used to determine which facilities were included in the WDTA Blue Box Program as of August 15, 2019.
  6. The number of facilities in the eligible community that received collection services pursuant to the WDTA Blue Box Program.
  7. The number of Blue Box receptacles in a public space in the eligible community that receive collection under the WDTA Blue Box Program.

The requirements for the Initial Report are set out in Section 54 of the regulation.

Please contact registry@rpra.ca for more information regarding the Initial Report.

 

Transition Report

First Nation communities are required to submit the following information as part of the Transition Report:

  1. The location of residences that receive curbside garbage collection in the eligible community.
  2. The location of residences that receive depot garbage collection in the eligible community.
  3. The location of every garbage depot collection site in the eligible community.
  4. The location of residences that receive curbside collection under the WDTA Blue Box Program in the eligible community.
  5. The location of residences that receive depot collection under the WDTA Blue Box Program in the eligible community.
  6. The location of facilities in the eligible community that receive collection services pursuant to the WDTA Blue Box Program.
  7. A description of a method pursuant to which additional information about the addresses of residences and facilities in the eligible community that receive collection under its garbage collection program and the WDTA Blue Box Program can be provided.
  8. The location of each Blue Box receptacle in a public space in the eligible community that received collection under the WDTA Blue Box Program.
  9. A list of materials that are collected under the WDTA Blue Box Program in the eligible community.
  10. The frequency at which residences in the eligible community receive collection under the WDTA Blue Box Program.
  11. The number of collection streams in the eligible community under the WDTA Blue Box Program.
  12. The location of every depot collection site in the eligible community under the WDTA Blue Box Program.
  13. The languages used for communications about the WDTA Blue Box Program in the eligible community.

The requirements for the Initial Report are set out in Section 55 of the regulation.

Please contact registry@rpra.ca for more information regarding the Transition Report.

First Nation communities without a Blue Box program are required to submit a report to provide statistical and logistical information about their garbage program.

Download the report below:

Offer process

Once an eligible First Nation registers to participate in the producer-run Blue Box program, the producer responsibility organizations (PROs) are obligated to provide an offer of collection services or funding on behalf of producers.

After the required reports have been submitted to RPRA (see “What do First Nation communities need to report?” section above), offer negotiations are set up between Circular Materials, the common collection system administrator, and the First Nation. RPRA does not directly participate in the offer process, however the submission, acceptance, rejection and/or revocation of an offer must be communicated through RPRA.

Working through the offer is the most time-consuming part of the entire process. The process involves:

  • The First Nation providing more detailed information about its waste management program, including the costs of operating its current recycling program, if applicable
  • Circular Materials’ staff requesting community visit(s) to better understand the First Nation’s recycling needs
  • Discussions between both parties to create recommendations that will inform the offer
  • Circular Materials’ staff and First Nation contacts will seek approval from band management or Chief and Council to proceed to draft an offer of service or funding. Many First Nations choose to use a band council recommendation to confirm that Circular Materials can provide an offer to the First Nation
  • Once approval is received, Circular Materials’ staff drafts the offer and both parties review and revise as needed
  • When both parties are satisfied, the offer is submitted to RPRA via email to confirm that a formal offer has been issued, and to the First Nation via Docusign to be reviewed and signed
  • An RPRA officer will confirm receipt of the offer
  • First Nation staff sign the offer, confirming acceptance of the service or funding

Delays to the reporting or offer process

In some cases, First Nation communities have higher priorities to manage and may not be able to complete their community’s report(s) or sign their offer from Circular Materials in a timely way. If this occurs during the reporting process, it will be paused until the First Nation is ready to complete the report(s). If First Nation staff are unable to sign their offer in a reasonable amount of time, an RPRA officer will reach out to learn what is causing the delay. If the First Nation staff are unresponsive after repeated attempts at contact, an RPRA officer will reach out to all parties to inform them that the process will be paused until the First Nation is ready to continue the process and sign the offer.

A pause does not change a First Nation’s registration status within the Blue Box program, and they will remain registered until they let RPRA know that they are ready to continue the process. RPRA will communicate to both the First Nation and Circular Materials if the reporting has been paused.