Posted on July 17, 2024 by Michelle Hoover -
RPRA is both required and committed to engaging registrants and other interested stakeholders through public consultation as a way of ensuring we fully understand their needs and preferences before making decisions that affect them. See our guiding principles for public consultations.
RPRA is required to publicly consult on the following:
- Wind-up plans (including amendments) for legacy waste diversion programs and industry funding organizations
- RPRA’s fees for producer responsibility programs and digital reporting services
- Topics as directed by the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and/or outlined in legislation
Outside of what is required, RPRA can choose to publicly consult on any topic or decision. This may happen through a broad, formal consultation (i.e. consultations listed on our website) or targeted conversations with key stakeholders through our advisory councils.
It is not in RPRA’s practice to publicly consult on our compliance and enforcement decisions. RPRA does not disclose details to the public about specific compliance cases and decisions coming out of those cases.
Posted on July 20, 2022 by Michelle Hoover -
RPRA takes a risk-based and proportional approach to compliance. This approach focuses on the potential risks that arise from non-compliance and assessing those risks to guide the use of compliance tools and the deployment of resources to minimize risk and maximize compliance. Learn more about RPRA’s Risk-Based Compliance Framework.
As a provincial regulator, we have the following powers to bring non-compliant parties into compliance:
- Broad inquiry powers including authority to compel documents and data
- Inspections and investigations
- Audits
- Compliance Orders and Administrative Penalty Orders (amounts to be set in regulation once finalized)
- Prosecution
RPRA’s primary approach to compliance is through communications (C4C – Communicating for Compliance). RPRA communicates directly with obligated parties and informs them of their requirements and when and how they must be completed. A high degree of compliance is achieved with this approach.
RPRA considers free riders a high priority to the programs we administer and focuses compliance efforts on bringing free riders into compliance with the regulations.
See our FAQ to understand “What is a free rider?”, and “What do I do if I think a business is a free rider?”
Posted on January 19, 2021 by Michelle Hoover -
No. RPRA is the regulator for the purposes of the new EEE Regulation. Producers and PROs are required to register with RPRA and meet the mandatory performance and reporting requirements under the regulation. RPRA is responsible for overseeing compliance with the regulation and has a range of enforcement tools that include compliance orders, administrative penalties, and prosecutions.
As a regulator, RPRA will not provide collection and management services. Instead, producers will be served by a competitive market comprised of processors, refurbishers, haulers, and PROs. Producers can contract with PROs to meet their obligations under the EEE Regulation, but producers will always remain responsible for meeting those requirements regardless of who they contract with.
Posted on July 17, 2020 by Michelle Hoover -
In accordance with the legislation (Resource Recovery Circular Economy Act 2016, section 57), the Authority is required to comply with strict confidentiality requirements. The Authority has also developed an Access and Privacy Code that applies to its day-to-day operations.
The Registry has been developed according to cybersecurity best practice principles. This includes VPN-based restrictions, staff training on all cybersecurity policies, staff access to the Registry on a strict role-requirement basis, and registry interface security features (example: two-factor authentication).
Posted on July 17, 2020 by Michelle Hoover -
The Authority recognizes the commercially sensitive nature of the information that parties submit to the registry. The Authority is committed to protecting the commercially sensitive information and personal information it receives or creates in the course of conducting its regulatory functions. In recognition of this commitment, the Authority, in addition to the regulatory requirements of confidentiality set out in the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act 2016 (section 57), has created an Access and Privacy Code that applies to its day-to-day operations, including the regulatory functions that it carries out.
Obligated material supply, collection, and resource recovery data will only be made public in aggregate form, to protect the confidentiality of commercially sensitive information.
The Authority will publish the names and contact information of all registered businesses – producers, service providers (collectors, haulers, processors, etc.), and producer responsibility organizations. The public will also have access to a list or method to locate any obligated material collection sites, as this information becomes available.
As part of its regulatory mandate, the Registrar will provide information to the public related to compliance and enforcement activities that have been undertaken.
The information that is submitted to the Registry will be used by the Registrar to confirm compliance and to track overall collection and management system performance. It will also be used by the Authority to update its policies and procedures and by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks for policy development.
Posted on July 17, 2020 by Michelle Hoover -
The Authority is the regulator designated by law to oversee the operation and wind up of current waste diversion programs under the Waste Diversion Transition Act, 2016. The Authority provides oversight, compliance, and enforcement activities with respect to regulations made under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016.
Posted on July 17, 2020 by Michelle Hoover -
No. While RPRA is responsible for the oversight, compliance and enforcement of the regulatory requirements for tires under Ontario’s individual producer responsibility framework, RPRA’s activities do not replicate those of OTS.
Posted on July 17, 2020 by Monica Ahmed -
Individual Producer Responsibility (IPR) means that producers are responsible and accountable for collecting and managing their products and packaging after consumers have finished using them.
For programs under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 (RRCEA), producers are directly responsible and accountable for meeting mandatory collection and recycling requirements for end of life products. With IPR, producers have choice in how they meet their requirements. They can collect and recycle the products themselves, or contract with producer responsibility organizations (PROs) to help them meet their requirements.
Posted on July 17, 2020 by Michelle Hoover -
Under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, the Authority is required to provide an annual report to the Minister that includes information on aggregate producer performance, and a summary of compliance and enforcement activities. Under section 51 of the Act, the Registrar also is required to post every order issued on the Registry.
