Lighting Producers

Producers are required to submit their supply reports to RPRA by July 31, 2024. The April 30, 2024, deadline for lighting performance reporting remains unchanged. Learn more.

Access the Registry

The Electrical and Electronic Equipment (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.

  • Bulbs
  • Dimmable light bulb
  • Fluorescent bulb
  • Halogen bulb
  • Headlight bulb
  • High intensity discharge (HID) lamp
  • Indicator Lights
  • Incandescent bulb
  • Lamp
  • Light emitting diode (LED) bulb
  • Mini and miniature bulbs
  • Motion activated bulb
  • Replacement bulbs & lamps
  • Tube light
  • UV Lamps
  • Wi-Fi light bulb
  • Ceiling light
  • Chandelier
  • Flashlights
  • Floor lamp
  • Flush mount light
  • Light bulb supplied with a fixture
  • Light bulb supplied with a product
  • Light Strips
  • Pendant light
  • Recessed lighting
  • Ring lights
  • Sconce
  • String lights
  • Table & floor lamps

A person is considered a lighting producer under the EEE Regulation if they supply lighting into Ontario and:

  • are the brand holder of the EEE and have residency in Canada
  • have residency in Ontario and import EEE 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)

Even if you do not meet the above definition, there may be circumstances where you qualify as a producer.

Note: there are exemptions under the EEE Regulation. If a lighting producer meets the exemption threshold, they are not required to register or report to RPRA. The exemption thresholds change each year and a producer must confirm each year. Learn more about determining if you are an exempt lighting producer.

What are my obligations under the EEE Regulation?

Click the headings below to learn more about your obligations as a producer.

Under the EEE Regulation, lighting producers are required to register with RPRA:

  • if the producer marketed lighting between January 1, 2018, and November 30, 2022; or
  • within 30 days of marketing lighting if the producer markets lighting after November 30, 2022.

Register here

Have questions about registration? View the following resources:

As of January 1, 2023, producers are required to establish and operate a collection system for lighting. A compliance bulletin providing guidance on lighting collection systems will be posted in the coming weeks.

Collection Sites

Producers must ensure that consumers can drop off lighting free of charge at each site that is part of their collection system and satisfy the following requirements:

  • If the lighting collection site is not part of a retail location, the site must accept all lighting.
  • If the lighting collection site is part of a retail location, the site must accept, at a minimum, all lighting that are of a similar size and function supplied by the producer at that location.
  • The lighting collection site must be readily accessible to the public and must operate and accept lighting during normal business hours throughout the performance period.
  • The lighting collection site must accept, at a minimum, up to 5 kilograms of lighting per day from any person.
  • If the lighting collection site is not part of a retail location and the lighting collection site accepts more than 5 kilograms of lighting from a person on a single day, the operator of the site shall record the person’s name, contact information, any unique identifier assigned by the Registrar and the weight of lighting accepted.

For Ontario Crown sites, municipal sites located in municipalities with a population less than 1,000 and First Nations Reserves, the following requirements apply:

  • Once the site has 300 kilograms of lighting, they may notify a PRO or a large producer for pick up
  • The lighting must be collected within one year from notification
  • Does not apply to the Far North

Producers can reduce their accessibility requirements by providing options such as curbside collection, mail back programs, or collection events.

Management Requirements

Producers must establish and operate a system for managing lighting by determining and satisfying their management requirements as follows:

  • All lighting picked up from a collection site must be managed within three months from the date of the pickup
  • Managed means reused, refurbished or processed (i.e. is now a recovered resource)

Recovered resources (including batteries removed from lighting) are:

  • Materials used or destined to be used by a person for the making of new products or packaging
  • Materials used to enrich soil
  • Glass used as aggregate (up to 50% of management requirement for lighting)
  • Aggregate from batteries (up to 15% of management requirement)

Materials that are not recovered (cannot count toward performance) include:

  • Aggregate over the allowed limits
  • Materials that are land disposed
  • Materials that are incinerated or used as fuel or a fuel supplement
  • Materials that are stored, stockpiled, used as a daily landfill cover or otherwise deposited on land (unless the enrich soil or as aggregate within allowable limits)

From January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024, every producer shall make best efforts to reuse, refurbish, or recycle 30% of the lighting they supply in Ontario.

Working with PROs

A producer responsibility organization (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 collection and management systems (hauling, recycling, reuse or refurbishment services)
  • Establishing or operating a collection or management system
  • Preparing and submitting reports

PROs operate in a competitive market and producers can choose the PRO (or PROs) they want to work with. The terms and conditions of each contract with a PRO may vary. View the list of registered lighting PROs here.

Collection activity reporting

Producers, or PROs on their behalf, were required to update their collection activities by July 31, 2024. As of August 1, collection activities must be regularly updated in the Registry. For more information and step-by-step instructions on how to report collection activities, read our guide. 

Annual Supply Data Reporting

Starting in 2023, and every year thereafter, lighting producers must report their supply data.

  • 2021 data with their 2023 report; 2022 data with their 2024 report, and so on.

Supply data must be submitted in accordance with the EEE Registry Procedure – Verification and Audit. Verification of supply data and management reductions (e.g. post-consumer recycled content) is required starting in 2024. Exempt producers must retain records related to the weight of lighting supplied into Ontario each year and provide them to the Authority upon request.

Have questions about supply data reporting? View the following resources:

Annual Performance Reporting

For the first performance period of January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, producers are required to make best efforts to ensure that at least 30% of lighting they collected, or was collected on their behalf, is processed, refurbished or reused within three months of the lighting being picked up from the collection site. Starting in 2024, and every year thereafter, producers, or PROs on their behalf, will have to report on the extent to which a producer was able to achieve their management requirement.

Producers, or PROs on their behalf, are required to report the following information annually:

  • Total weight of lighting collected
  • Total weight of collected lighting that were refurbished
  • Input the weight of materials recovered from processing the collected lighting (e.g. metals, plastics, etc.)

Most producers will work with a PRO to meet their mandatory collection and management requirements.  Learn more about PROs here.

If a PRO submits the report on your behalf, as a producer you are legally responsible to meet your requirements under the EEE Regulation.

Beginning in 2025, producers or PROs reporting on their behalf, will be required to submit an audit verifying their performance reporting. More information about audit reporting will be communicated in the future.

Upcoming Important Dates

RegistrantRequirementDeadline
Producers who are required to registerRegister with RPRA unless exemptWithin 30 days of marketing lighting, if the producer markets lighting after November 30, 2022
All producersSubmit annual Supply Report, which reports on the weight of lighting supplied into Ontario in 2022
 
Submit a Supply Data Verification Report completed by a verifier/qualified person. Learn more
July 31, 2024*
All producers, or a PRO on their behalfSubmit a Performance Report, which reports the total weight of lighting collected, and refurbished and the total weight of materials and recovered from processing in 2023
 
RPRA will not require a Resource Recovery Performance Audit Report in 2024. Learn more.
April 30, 2024
Unless otherwise stated, all information must be submitted through RPRA’s Registry.
*RPRA’s Registrar is delaying lighting supply reporting to July 31, 2024. The April 30 supply reporting deadline in the EEE Regulation will not be enforced. Learn more.

We are here to help you understand your requirements

If you have questions relating to the EEE Regulation, or if you would like to receive email communications relating to lighting, contact our Compliance and Registry Team at registry@rpra.ca or 1-833-600-0530 for support.