The Blue Box Regulation states the requirement for Blue Box producers or PROs to deliver printed promotion and education materials in English and French to eligible sources by mail upon request, with requests limited to once per year.
Topic: Promotion and Education
As an HSP producer, what are my requirements under the HSP regulation?
As an obligated HSP producer, you are required to:
- register and report annual supply and performance data of obligated materials
- meet mandatory and enforceable requirements for collection and management
- meet mandatory and enforceable requirements for promotion and education
- meet mandatory and enforceable requirements for auditing, verification, and record keeping
These requirements vary based on material type and amount of material the producer supplies.
As an HSP producer of mercury-containing barometers, thermometers or thermostats, what are my promotion and education requirements?
Beginning October 1, 2021, producers or PROs acting on their behalf, of mercury-containing devices are required to establish and operate a promotion and education program that:
- Promotes their collection and management services with respect to the type of HSP they are obligated for
- Provides the following information on a website with respect to that type of HSP:
- the presence of mercury in that type of HSP
- how to distinguish that type of HSP from similar products that do not contain mercury
- the hazards to human health and the environment related to mercury
- how consumers can properly dispose of that type of HSP
- a description of the collection services provided by the producer under this Regulation for that type of HSP
- a description of how the producer manages that type of HSP after it is collected under this Regulation
- Creates promotional and educational materials with respect to that type of HSP that include the following:
- the address of the website
- a description of how that type of HSP is collected and managed
- The producer shall make the promotional and educational materials available to retailers that supply that type of HSP or similar products that do not contain mercury, municipal governments, and Indigenous communities, and shall solicit and consider feedback from those retailers, municipal governments and Indigenous communities on how the promotional and educational materials can be improved
As an HSP producer of refillable propane containers, what are my promotion and education requirements?
There are no promotion or education requirements for producers of refillable propane containers.
As an HSP producer of refillable pressurized containers, what are my promotion and education requirements?
There are no promotion or education requirements for producers of refillable pressurized containers.
As an HSP producer of fertilizers, what are my promotion and education requirements?
Beginning October 1, 2021, producers are obligated to:
- establish and operate a promotion and education program starting in 2022
- provide information on their website about how consumers can use, share and properly dispose of fertilizer with local requirements
- create promotional and education materials that include:
- The website URL
- A description of how consumers can use, share and properly dispose of fertilizer
- solicit, consider feedback from, and make the promotional and education materials available to:
- Indigenous communities
- Municipal governments
- Retailers that supply fertilizers
- provide information to municipalities on innovative end-use options for fertilizers as an alternative to disposal
As an HSP producer of oil containers, antifreeze, pesticides, solvents, paints or coatings, what are my promotion and education requirements?
Beginning October 1, 2021, producers, or PROs acting on their behalf, of oil containers, antifreeze, pesticides, solvents, paints and coatings are required to establish and operate a promotion and education program including the following:
- Promote their collection and management services with respect to the type of HSP they are obligated for
- Provide the following information on a website with respect to that type of HSP:
- the location of each HSP collection site established or operated by the producer that is accessible to the public and the types of HSP accepted at each site
- the location and date of each HSP collection event held by the producer and the types of HSP accepted at each event
- a description of the collection services provided by the producer, other than HSP collection sites and HSP collection events
- a description of how the producer manages that type of HSP after it is collected
- Create promotional and educational materials with respect to that type of HSP that include the following:
- the address of the website
- a description of how that type of HSP is collected and managed
- The producer shall make the promotional and educational materials available to retailers that supply that type of HSP, municipal governments and Indigenous communities, and shall solicit and consider feedback on how the promotional and educational materials can be improved
- The producer shall promote each HSP collection event for that type of HSP in the local municipality or territorial district where it will be held for at least one week prior to the date of the event using a combination of two or more forms of media, including but not limited to:
- local print publications
- local print media
- local radio
- local signage or social media
As an HSP producer of oil filters or non-refillable pressurized containers, what are my promotion and education requirements?
Beginning October 1, 2021, producers of oil filters and non-refillable pressurized containers, or PROs acting on their behalf, are required to establish and operate a promotion and education program including the following:
- promote their collection and management services with respect to the type of HSP they are obligated for
- provide the following information on a website with respect to that type of HSP:
- the location of each HSP collection site established or operated by the producer that is accessible to the public and the types of HSP accepted at each site
- the location and date of each HSP collection event held by the producer and the types of HSP accepted at each event
- a description of the collection services provided by the producer, other than HSP collection sites and HSP collection events
- a description of how the producer manages that type of HSP after it is collected
- create promotional and educational materials with respect to that type of HSP that include the following:
- the website URL
- a description of how that type of HSP is collected and managed
- the producer shall make the promotional and educational materials available to retailers that supply that type of HSP, municipal governments and Indigenous communities, and shall solicit and consider feedback on how the promotional and educational materials can be improved
- the producer shall promote each HSP collection event for that type of HSP in the local municipality or territorial district where it will be held for at least one week prior to the date of the event using a combination of two or more forms of media, including but not limited to:
- local print publications
- local print media
- local radio
- local signage or social media
How do I determine if I am an exempt HSP producer?
There are exemptions under the HSP Regulation for category A and B producers. If an HSP producer meets the exemption threshold for a material type, they are not required to establish a collection system, manage those materials or implement a promotion and education program.
Producers of refillable pressurized containers that meet the exemption threshold are still required to provide a call-in collection service.
An HSP producer qualifies for an exemption if their average weight of supply for the previous calendar year is less than or equal to the weight (in tonnes) specified in the chart below:
| Type of HSP | Exempt (Less than <) |
|---|---|
| Oil Filters | 3.5 |
| Non-refillable Pressurized Containers | 3 |
| Antifreeze | 20 |
| Oil Containers | 2 |
| Solvents | 3 |
| Paints and Coatings | 10 |
| Pesticides | 1 |
| Refillable Pressurized Containers | 8 |
| Mercury-containing Devices | N/A |
| Fertilizers | |
| Propane Containers (refillable) |
Producers must verify that they continue to meet the exemption annually, since their average weight of supply will change from year to year.
See our FAQ “Am I a small, large, or exempt HSP producer?” to determine how to calculate if you are an exempt HSP producer.
HSP producers that meet the exemption criteria are exempt from:
- Registering and reporting to RPRA
- Establishing a collection and management system
- Meeting a management requirement
- Promotion and education requirements
Exempt producers must keep records related to the weight of HSP supplied into Ontario each year and provide them to RPRA upon request.
Producers are advised to confirm their exemption with the Compliance and Registry Team at 1-833-600-0530 or [email protected].
I am a retailer. What does the Tires Regulation mean for me?
As a retailer, you may also be a producer and/or a collector, based on the definitions in the Tires Regulation.
Businesses will continue to have discretion over whether they charge a fee to recover the cost of recycling their products. If a business chooses to charge a fee, they are no longer required to provide information about who is charging the visible fee and what it will be used for.