Electrical and Electronic Equipment

The Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) Regulation under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 designates information technology, telecommunications, audio-visual (ITT/AV) and lighting equipment as the third and fourth materials after tires and batteries under Ontario’s individual producer responsibility regulatory framework.

Individual producer responsibility makes producers accountable for their products and packaging once consumers are finished with them; sets mandatory and enforceable requirements for resource recovery; and gives producers choices for resource recovery services in a competitive market.

As of January 1, 2021, following the wind up of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Program operated by the industry funding organization Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES) on December 31, 2020, ITT/AV producers are individually accountable and financially responsible for collecting and reusing, refurbishing or recycling their products when consumers discard them.

OES did not operate a program for lighting and the responsibilities for lighting do not come into effect until January 1, 2023.

Information technology, telecommunications, audio-visual equipment (ITT/AV)

ITT/AV is equipment that has a primary purpose of collecting, storing, processing, presenting or communicating information, including sounds and images, recording or reproducing sounds and images. ITT/AV includes equipment supplied into any sector (e.g., residential, business, hospital, institutional, commercial, industrial, etc.) and includes any batteries supplied with the ITT/AV (i.e., in packaging or in product).

Computers
Printers (desktop and floor-standing)
Printer cartridges
Video gaming devices
Telephones, including cellular phones
Display devices
Radios and stereos, including after-market vehicle stereos
Headphones
Speakers
Cameras, including security cameras
Video recorders
Drones with audio or visual recording equipment
Peripherals and cables used to support the function of information technology, telecommunications and audio visual equipment, including charging equipment
Parts of information technology, telecommunications and audio visual equipment sold separately, such as hard drives
Handheld point-of-sale terminals or devices
Musical instruments
Audio recording equipment

ITT/AV equipment weighing more than 250 kg
Small and large appliances
Power tools
Motor vehicles
Children’s toys
Textiles, clothing, furniture or any other upholstered or stuffed articles containing EEE

Lighting

The EEE Regulation defines lighting as equipment that has the primary purpose of producing light, such as light bulbs, tubes and lamps, including incandescent, fluorescent, halogen, light emitting diode (LED) and high intensity discharge (HID) lamps. The definition does not include lighting that is provided with another product or a fixture, or that falls into the category of ITT/AV equipment as defined by the regulation.

Producers and service providers of lighting must register with RPRA by November 30, 2022. More information will be made available on lighting ahead of the registration deadline.

If you have questions about your lighting obligations under the EEE Regulation, contact RPRA’s Compliance and Registry Team at registry@rpra.ca or toll free at 1-833-600-0530.

How does the EEE Regulation affect you?

Click the headings below to learn more about your ITT/AV requirements. More information on lighting will be made available in the future.

A person is considered an ITT/AV producer under the EEE Regulation if they supply ITT/AV into Ontario and:

are the brand holder of the ITT/AV and have residency in Canada
have residency in Ontario and import ITT/AV from outside of Ontario
have residency in Ontario and markets directly to consumers in Ontario (e.g. online sales)
does not have residency in Ontario and markets directly to consumers in Ontario (e.g. online sales)

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An ITT/AV hauler is a person that arranges the transport of ITT/AV used in Ontario that are destined for processing, reuse, refurbishing or disposal.
An ITT/AV refurbisher is a person that prepares or refurbishes used ITT/AV for reuse for the purposes of resource recovery.
An ITT/AV processor is a person that processes ITT/AV used in Ontario for the purposes of resource recovery.

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If you are a First Nation or municipality that collects EEE at a depot or through collection events or if you are a retailer or organization that provides collection boxes at your location, you do not have registration or reporting requirements under the EEE Regulation as a collector. You may have responsibilities if you are a collector of ITT/AV who is also a producer or a hauler.

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A PRO is a business established to contract with producers to provide collection, management and administrative services to help producers meet their regulatory obligations under the EEE Regulation, including:

Arranging the establishment or operation of ITT/AV collection and management systems (hauling, recycling, reuse or refurbishment services).
Establishing or operating a collection or management system.
Preparing and submitting reports and payment.

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Wind up of the WEEE Program

The WEEE Program was operated by OES who was responsible for electronics recycling in Ontario on behalf of the electronics industry. The program ended on December 31, 2020, and on January 1, 2021, ITT/AV and lighting moved to the new individual producer responsibility framework.

Learn more