Frequently Asked Questions

Beginning in 2024, only large producers are required to submit a Supply Data Verification Report. Small producers will no longer be required to submit a verification report but will be subject to inspections. Review the Hazardous and Special Products Registry Procedure – Verification and Audit Procedure for more information.

For the purposes of HSP supply reporting verification:

“Large HSP producer” means an HSP producer whose average supply in the previous calendar year meets the large producer threshold outlined in the chart below:

As of October 1, 2021, producers are required to establish and operate a collection system that meets the accessibility requirements in the regulation. Producers must ensure that all HSP collected is managed regardless of what their minimum management requirements are.

Producers have the choice of establishing and operating their own collection and management systems or working with one or more producer responsibility organizations (PROs) registered with RPRA to meet their obligations.

Large producers have an additional requirement to provide call-in collection services. Learn more.

Please contact the Compliance Team at 1-833-600-0530 or [email protected] to discuss other requirements under the HSP Regulation.

See our FAQ to understand “Am I a small, large or exempt HSP producer?“. For more guidance, read the Hazardous and Special Products Collection Systems Compliance Bulletin.

When to register as a producer 

Producers of oil filters and non-refillable pressurized containers, oil containers, antifreeze, pesticides, refillable pressurized containers, solvents, paints and coatings  

If the producer’s average weight of supply in 2018, 2019, 2020 was above the threshold in the table below, the producer was required to register with RPRA by November 30, 2021. Obligated producers who have not yet registered are out of compliance with the regulation and may face compliance action by RPRA. 

If a producer was not required to register in 2021, they must register on or before July 31 of the first calendar year that they exceed the threshold in the table below. 

For assistance in calculating your average weight of supply, contact RPRA’s Compliance Team at [email protected].  

Producers of mercury-containing barometers, thermometers and thermostats, fertilizers and refillable propane containers

If a producer met the definition of an HSP producer in 2021, they were required to register with RPRA by November 31, 2021.

If you meet the definition of an HSP producer after November 31, 2021, you must register with RPRA within 30 days. 

How to register as a producer

1. Go to RPRA’s Registry at https://registry.rpra.ca/s/login/?language=en_US 
   • Note: The Registry will not work with the Internet Explorer web browser. Google Chrome is the recommended web browser to use.
2. Click “Don’t have an Account? Create a new Account”.
3. Follow the prompts to fill out your account details. 
   • Information needed at time of registration: 
     • CRA business number, business name, address, contact information, and 
     • Name, contact information of the person who will be responsible for completing registration.
4. You’ll receive an email with a link to create your password.
5. Select the program you want to enroll in.
6. Submit a supply report with the total weight of each type of HSP that was supplied to consumers in Ontario in the previous years. 

For more information and step by step instructions on how to submit a supply report, view our supply reporting guides here. 

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 specified in the chart below:

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

Producers must verify that they continue to meet the exemption annually, since their average weight of supply will change from year to year.

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 Team at 1-833-600-0530 or [email protected].

As of October 1, 2021, producers, or PROs acting on their behalf, are required to establish and operate a system for managing HSP by satisfying their management requirements as follows:

• All oil containers, antifreeze, solvents, paints and coatings picked up from a collection site must be processed within three months from the date of the pickup
• Producers must ensure that materials are processed by an HSP processor registered with RPRA. In 2027, producers or PROs on their behalf must use a processor who met, at a minimum, the average recycling efficiency rate (RER)specified in the table below in the calendar year two years prior for the type of HSP:

• Producers of pesticides must ensure that pesticides are properly disposed of at an HSP disposal facility registered with RPRA no later than three months after the day the pesticides are collected

As an HSP producer of mercury containing barometers, thermometers or thermostats, what are my management requirements?

Producers must ensure that, no later than three months from the date of the pickup, the HSP is processed by an HSP processor who is registered with RPRA.

In 2027, producers or PROs on their behalf must use a processor who met, at a minimum, the average recycling efficiency rate (RER) specified in the table below in the calendar year two years prior:

There have been some key changes to the producer hierarchies under the Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste (MHSW) program to those under the HSP Regulation. This may affect what a producer is obligated for and should be considered if using previously reported data.

Hierarchy change for producers in all categories (excluding those provided in new vehicles, for which a separate hierarchy applies):

• Brand holders that are resident in Canada are obligated (previously was resident in Ontario)

Hierarchy change for producers of antifreeze and oil filters supplied in new vehicles:

• Vehicle brand holders that are resident in Canada, importers and marketers are obligated

Hierarchy change for producers of oil filters, oil containers, antifreeze, pesticides, non-refillable pressurized containers, refillable pressurized containers, solvents, paints or coatings:

• Producer hierarchy’s introduction of marketers with or without residency in Ontario

See our FAQ to understand “Am I an HSP Producer?”

Yes, a producer, a PRO (producer responsibility organization) on behalf of a producer, or a service provider on behalf of either party, can collect any product or material (including materials or products that are not designated under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 (RRCEA)). For example, a battery producer may choose to collect batteries that weigh over 5kg; a tire producer may choose to collect bicycle tires; or a Blue Box producer may choose to collect books.

Products or materials that are not designated under RRCEA regulations cannot be counted towards meeting a producer’s collection or management requirements under RRCEA.

If designated materials are co-collected with materials that are not designated, a person must use a methodology or process acceptable to the Authority to account for those materials. Anyone considering this can contact the Compliance Team to discuss at [email protected] or 833-600-0530.

For example, if bicycle tires are collected at the same time as automotive tires, they must be accounted for separately both when collected and when sent to a processor.

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

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

You are a hazardous and special products (HSP) producer if you market antifreeze and oil filters (excluding those provided in new vehicles, for which a separate hierarchy applies as outlined below), oil containers, solvents, paints and coatings, pesticides, fertilizers, pressurized containers or refillable propane containers to consumers in Ontario and:

• You are the brand holder and have residency in Canada;
• If there is no resident brand holder, you have residency in Ontario and import from outside of Ontario;
• If there is no resident importer, you have residency in Ontario and market directly to consumers in Ontario (e.g., online sales); or
• If there is no resident marketer, you do not have residency in Ontario and market directly to consumers in Ontario (e.g., online sales).

You are a hazardous and special products (HSP) producer if you market oil filters and antifreeze provided in new vehicles into Ontario and:

• You are the manufacturer of the new vehicle and have residency in Canada;
• If there is no resident vehicle manufacturer, you have residency in Ontario and import the vehicle from outside of Ontario;
• If there is no resident importer, you have residency in Ontario and market the vehicle directly to consumers in Ontario; or
• If there is no resident marketer, you do not have residency in Ontario and market the vehicle directly to consumers in Ontario.

You are a hazardous and special products (HSP) producer if you market mercury-containing barometers, thermometers or thermostats into Ontario and:

• You are the brand holder and have residency in Canada; or
• You are the brand holder of barometers, thermometers or thermostats marketed to consumers in Ontario that do not contain mercury

You are a hazardous and special products (HSP) producer if you market fertilizers into Ontario and:

• You are the brand holder and have residency in Canada

Even if you do not meet the above definitions, there may be circumstances where you qualify as a producer. Read the Hazardous and Special Products Regulation for more details or contact the Compliance Team for guidance at [email protected] or toll-free at 1- (833) 600-0530.

Related FAQs: 

• When and how do I register with RPRA as an HSP producer?

No, where a producer is exempt, the regulatory obligations do not become the responsibility of the organization that is next in the producer hierarchy. The exempt producer remains the “producer” for those materials; they are just exempt from certain requirements under the regulation as set out in the relevant provisions providing for the exemption. This is the case in all RRCEA regulations.

Free riders are obligated parties that:

• Have not registered or reported to RPRA
• Have not established a collection and management system (if they are so required to), or;
• Are not operating a collection and management system (if they are so required to).

See our FAQs to understand “What is RPRA’s approach to free riders?”, and “What do I do if I think a business is a free rider?”

To note:

• Some producers only have requirements to register and report. Please refer to your specific program page on our website to understand producer obligations.
• Collection and management systems may be accomplished by a producer responsibility organization (PRO) on behalf of a producer through contractual arrangements between the producer and PRO. If a PRO is managing a producer’s collection and management requirements, producers must identify that PRO to RPRA.

Producers are obligated parties under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act and are ultimately responsible for their data submitted through RPRA’s Registry. Producers can choose to contract with an external consultant to support their data submission, but third parties have limited permissions in the Registry as they are not regulated parties.

A producer can choose to assign a primary or secondary user profile in their Registry account to an external consultant. An external consultant may submit supply data reports and/or pay registry fees on the producer’s behalf.

External consultants cannot submit and/or sign registration, executive attestations, account admin changes or supply data adjustment documentation on behalf of a producer. External consultants cannot be account admins, nor can they manage a PRO within the Registry on behalf of a producer.

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.

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

No, only producers are required to pay RPRA program fees.  The decision to make producers pay fees and cover the Authority’s costs was made to reflect the fact that the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 (RRCEA) is based on a producer responsibility framework. Although producers may hire service providers to help meet their obligations, the responsibility remains with the producer.

Producers of HSP need to provide the following information when registering with RPRA:

• Business information (e.g. business name, contact information)
• The year you began marketing or selling HSP into Ontario
• Any PROs you are contracted with
• Your annual HSP Supply Report if you are a producer of
  • oil filters,
  • non-refillable pressurized containers,
  • oil containers,
  • antifreeze,
  • pesticides,
  • solvents, and
  • paints and coatings

• Confirmation if gross annual revenue generated from all products and services in Ontario was above or below $2 million in the previous calendar year and list of supplied brands if you are a producer of:
  • mercury-containing barometers,
  • thermometers and thermostats,
  • fertilizers, and
  • refillable propane containers

A producer can grant access to anyone they would like to authorize in their reporting (i.e. Registry) portal. Producer reporting must be done in the producer account and batch data transfers are not accepted.

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 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.

No. The Authority does not administer contracts or provide incentives. Under the Regulations, producers will either work with a producer responsibility organization (PRO) or work directly with collection sites, haulers, refurbisher’s and/or processors to meet their collection and management requirements. Any reimbursement for services provided towards meeting a producers’ collection and management requirements will be determined through commercial contracts.

To discuss any payment, contact your service provider or a PRO. RPRA does not set the terms of the contractual arrangements between PROs and producers.

Producers shall ensure that, no later than three months after the day the material is collected, the HSP is processed by an HSP processor who is registered with RPRA.

On and after January 1, 2023, producers or PROs on behalf of producers shall ensure that the HSP is processed by an HSP processor at a facility in respect of which the HSP processor reported an average recycling efficiency rate for that type of HSP that is at least the percentage set out in the table below.

Yes. PROs are private enterprises and charge for their services to producers.

Each commercial contract a producer enters with a PRO will have its own set of terms and conditions. It is up to the PRO and producer to determine the terms of their contractual agreement, including fees and payment schedule.

RPRA does not set the terms of the contractual arrangements between PROs and producers.

As of October 1, 2021, producers, or PROs acting on their behalf, are required to establish and operate a management system and must:

• process all oil filters and non-refillable pressurized containers picked up from a collection site within three months from the date of the pickup
• ensure that materials are processed by an HSP processor registered with RPRA

Beginning January 1, 2022, producers are required to recover an amount of material based on their average supply into Ontario and report on it annually starting in 2023.

Amendments to the Hazardous and Special Products (HSP) Regulation have changed the RER reporting requirements, depending on the material category:

• Category A (oil filters and non-refillable pressurized containers):

Effective for the 2025 calendar year, and every year thereafter, producers (or PROs on their behalf) are no longer required to use processors that meet specified RERs.

• Category B: (antifreeze, oil containers, paints and coatings and solvents, but not pesticides) and Category C (barometers, thermometers and thermostats):

In 2027, producers (or PROs on their behalf) must use a processor who met, at a minimum, the average RER specified in the table below in the calendar year two years prior:

• Category D (fertilizers), Category E (refillable propane containers and refillable pressurized containers), and pesticides:

These materials do not have any RER requirements.

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.

Yes. You are required to submit 2018, 2019 and 2020 supply data when registering with the Authority if you are a producer of oil filters, oil filters, oil containers, antifreeze, pesticides, solvents, paints and coatings, refillable or non-refillable pressurized containers and:

• supplied materials between January 1, 2018, and October 31, 2021, and
• your average weight of supply is above the threshold stated in the below table

Otherwise, a producer must register on or before July 31 of the first calendar year in which the producer exceeds the above threshold. To calculate your average weight of supply, reference the Registration Form.

Under the HSP Regulation, producers are required to make reasonable efforts to establish and operate at least as many collection sites for each type of HSP in each local municipality, territorial district or reserve as the number of sites that were operated on September 30, 2021.

Producers are also required to make reasonable efforts to hold at least as many collection events for that type of HSP in each local municipality, territorial district or reserve as the number of events that were held in the 2020 calendar year.

A brand supply list is a list of brands of obligated products that a producer supplies to consumers in Ontario. A producer must provide a brand supply list that makes up their supply data annually to RPRA. Each program has different requirements regarding how a producer must submit a brand supply list. For more information, consult the applicable programs’ walkthrough guide or contact RPRA’s Compliance and Registry Team at 1-833-600-0530 or by emailing [email protected].

All remote and fly-in First Nation communities can access the Hazardous Special Products (HSP, formerly known as Household Hazardous Waste) producer-run program.

All other producer-run recycling programs are only accessible to communities south of the Far North Boundary.

For more information about recycling programs in First Nation Communities, visit our Recycling in First Nation Communities webpage.

Also see our FAQ: ‘What is the Far North Boundary?’

As of October 1, 2021, producers of mercury-containing barometers, thermometers and thermostats must provide a call-in service number for communities to call to request a pickup if requested by the following representatives:

• a council of the band
• a municipality not located in the Far North
• a territorial district that is not located in the Far North
• a depot owned or operated by the Crown not in the Far North

Producers shall make reasonable efforts to collect the HSP within one year of being notified by a representative of a council of the band located on a reserve in the Far North.

If First Nation communities, municipalities or other collection site operators want to collect used HSP as a service to customers or residents, they need to ensure their sites are included in a producer’s collection network.

Most producers will be working with service providers, such as PROs, processors or haulers to operate their collection networks. To join a collection network, First Nation communities, municipalities, and collection site operators should contact a service provider registered with RPRA. View the list of registered service providers here.

Municipalities and First Nations communities can also hold collection events. Collection events are typically one to two day events where members of the public or community can drop off materials such as HSP. These communities should contact a service provider if they are interested in providing these services to their residents.

All municipalities, territorial districts and First Nation communities can contact producers or PROs to arrange a pickup once they collect a specific amount of HSP material. The minimum amount required for pickup differs by category. For further information about this option, please see our Recycling in First Nation Communities page.

If a producer misreports their supply data to RPRA, they must contact the Compliance Team immediately by emailing [email protected]. Please include the following information in the email:

• The rationale for the change in the data
• Any data that supports the need for a correction (e.g., sales documents, audit)
• Any other information to support the change

While it is an offence to submit false or misleading information under the RRCEA, RPRA wants this corrected as quickly as possible to ensure a producer’s minimum management requirement is calculated using accurate supply data.

RPRA can only receive these requests from the primary contact on the company’s Registry account. Your request for an adjustment will be reviewed by a Compliance and Registry Officer.

There have been some key changes to the material definitions from the Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste (MHSW) program to the material definitions under the HSP Regulation which may affect what a producer is obligated for. The following should be considered if producers opt to use previously reported data:

• Antifreeze now includes factory fill
• Solvents that are captured by the definition are obligated regardless of how they are marketed
• Paints and coatings now include:
  • All non-pesticide marine paint products, regardless of whether it was contained in an aerosol container or not
  • Aerosol automotive paints
  • Aerosol craft paints
  • Aerosol industrial paints
  • Paints and coatings meeting the definition of this material and being supplied to IC&I are now obligated
• Refillable Pressurized Containers supplied to IC&I are now obligated

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.

RPRA does not vet PROs before listing them on the website. Any business that registers as a PRO will be listed. Producers should do their own due diligence when determining which PRO to work with.

Producers of every type of HSP are required to keep records for a period of five years from the date of the record being created.

Producers must keep records that relate to the following:

• arranging for the establishment or operation of a collection or management system
• establishing or operating a collection or management system
• information required to be submitted to the Authority through the Registry
• implementing a promotion and education program
• weight of each type of HSP within each applicable category of HSP supplied to consumers in Ontario, regardless of whether information about the weight was required to be submitted to the Authority
• any agreements that relate to the above records

A brand is any mark, word, name, symbol, design, device or graphical element, or a combination thereof, including a registered or unregistered trademark, which identifies a product and distinguishes it from other products.

A brand holder is a person who owns or licenses a brand or otherwise has rights to market a product under the brand.

Note:

• If there are two or more brand holders, the producer most directly connected to the production of the material is the brand holder.
• If more than one material produced by different brand holders are marketed as a single package, the producer who is more directly connected to the primary product in the package is the brand holder.

For the 2024 performance report, all HSP processors are not required to report on their RER.

Amendments to the Hazardous and Special Products (HSP) Regulation have changed the RER requirements for the 2025 calendar year and going forward, depending on the material category:

• Category A (oil filters and non-refillable pressurized containers):

Effective in 2025, and going forward, processors of Category A materials are no longer required to calculate or report on their RER. Producers (or PROs on their behalf) are no longer required to work with processors that meet specified RERs.

• Category B (antifreeze, oil containers, paints and coatings and solvents, but not pesticides) and Category C (barometers, thermometers and thermostats):

In 2027, producers (or PROs on their behalf) must use a processor who met, at a minimum, the average RER specified in the table below in the calendar year two years prior for the type of HSP.

• Category D (fertilizers), Category E (refillable propane containers and refillable pressurized containers), and pesticides (Category B):

These materials do not have any RER requirements.

Brand holders and producers that supply products and packaging are required by legislation to meet individual mandatory collection and resource recovery requirements and may face compliance and enforcement consequences for failing to do so. The executive attestation ensures that executives responsible for managing the brand holder’s or producer’s business are aware of these requirements and can ensure that appropriate measures are put in place to achieve compliance with the regulations.

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.

As of October 1, 2021, producers of refillable propane containers must establish and operate a call-in collection number for the following representatives to request a pickup:

• a council of the band
• a municipality that is not located in the Far North
• a reserve in the Far North
• a territorial district that is not located in the Far North
• a depot where refillable propane containers are collected, that is owned or operated by the Crown in right of Ontario and that is not located in the Far North

Producers of fertilizers have no collection requirements.

Producers of fertilizers have no management requirements.

Producers of refillable propane containers have no management 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

There are no promotion or education requirements for producers of refillable pressurized containers.

There are no promotion or education requirements for producers of refillable propane containers.

The recycling locations that appear on the map are reported to RPRA by PROs (or producers managing their own collection networks) as the administrators of the collection systems. The public collection activities that PROs report in their registry account are uploaded to the map in near real-time.

If a producer or service provider needs to adjust the performance data reported to RPRA, they must contact the Compliance Team immediately by emailing [email protected]. Please include the following information in the email:

• The rationale for the change in the data
• Any data that supports the need for a correction (e.g., tonnage purchase or sale contract, audit)
• Any other information to support the change

While it is an offence to submit false or misleading information under the RRCEA, RPRA wants this corrected as quickly as possible to ensure that it has accurate performance data from all registrants.

RPRA can only receive these requests from the primary contact on the company’s Registry account. Your request for an adjustment will be reviewed by a Compliance and Registry Officer.

Program fees are charges that producers obligated under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016, are required to pay to RPRA annually to recover its operational costs, including costs related to building and operating the registry, providing services to registrants, and compliance and enforcement activities.

All current and past fee schedules can be found here.

Yes. Producers and service providers can enter into contractual agreements with multiple PROs.

Consumer protection laws in Ontario prohibits the misrepresentation of charges, which means that producers or retailers cannot misrepresent any visible fees as a regulatory charge, tax, RPRA fee or something similar. Consumers who have questions or concerns about a specific transaction or want to report a misrepresentation can contact the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery at 1-800-889-9768.

As of March 2023, the promotion and education requirements related to environmental fees have been removed from the Tires, Batteries, Electrical and Electronic Equipment, and Hazardous and Special Products regulations. No changes were made to the Blue Box Regulation as it never contained promotion and education requirements related to these fees.

RPRA’s compliance bulletin Charging Tire Fees to Consumers has since been revoked and RPRA has ceased its enforcement of promotion and education requirements for visible fees across all materials.

No. As of October 1, 2021, it is up to the municipality to decide if they will participate in the HSP Regulation. Those that decide to participate will need to work with a PRO or a producer.

Starting January 1, 2023, RPRA will collect 13% HST on all fees at the time of fee payment.

This decision is based on a ruling RPRA received from the CRA in which HST must be charged on its fees under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 (RRCEA). RPRA has determined that this ruling applies to all RRCEA producer responsibility programs and the Excess Soil and Hazardous Waste programs.

On December 22, 2022, RPRA will reissue invoices that were issued prior to January 1, 2023, amended to indicate that 13% HST was paid. From December 22 onwards, registrants will be able to access the amended invoices in their Registry accounts under a new tab labelled “Invoices”. The amended invoice will show an HST amount as well as the date the amended invoice was reissued.

Important notes:

• On the amended invoices there have been no changes to the Invoice Total and registrants will not be required to pay any additional monies to RPRA for past invoices.
• Registrants may be able to claim input tax credits for the HST collected on RPRA fees, for both the amended invoices and new invoices issued January 1, 2023, onwards. However, RPRA is not in a position to provide tax advice and suggests you consult your internal or external accountants to seek their counsel.
• All new invoices issued effective January 1, 2023, will contain appropriate information identifying the amount of the HST and other relevant details. These invoices will also be displayed under the “Invoices” tab in a registrants’ Registry account.

Collection sites for batteries, electronics, household hazardous waste, lighting, and tires that are reported by producers, or PROs on their behalf, appear on the map.

Collection sites that are considered private (e.g. a recycling bin inside a business that is not accessible to the public) do not appear on the map.

If your collection site isn’t part of a PRO’s collection network, it won’t appear on the map. The map populates collection sites with data entered by producers or PROs on their behalf.

If you are working with a PRO and your site is not listed on the map, contact your PRO.

If you aren’t already working with a PRO and want to add your collection site to the map, you can find a list of PROs and their contact information on the applicable program page of RPRA’s website.

A Verifier can be an individual, either an employee of the business or a hired third-party (including a PRO), who has one of the following designations and is not the same person who prepared the supply report:

• CPA (Chartered Professional Accountants) in Canada or CPA (Certified Public Accountant) in the US
• ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accounts) Qualification
• CIA (Certified Internal Auditor)
• CPB (Certified Professional Bookkeeper) in Canada
• RPA (Registered Professional Accountant) in Canada

RPRA’s Where to Recycle map displays locations across Ontario where the public can drop off used materials to be recycled, such as batteries, electronics, household hazardous waste (e.g., paint, antifreeze, pesticides), lighting and tires, for free. Materials collected at these locations are reused, refurbished, recycled, or properly disposed of to help keep them out of landfill, recover valuable resources and protect our environment. Learn more here.

The recycling locations that appear on the map are reported to RPRA by businesses that run the recycling systems in Ontario.

The HSP Regulation has 13 materials obligated under it. Materials that share the same obligations have been grouped into categories.

Category A:

• Oil Filters: a fluid filter, other than a gasoline filter, and includes,
  a) a spin-on style filter or element-style fluid filter that is sold separately or as part of a product, that is used in hydraulic, transmission or internal combustion engine applications,
  (b) a filter used for oil, diesel fuel, storage tank fuel, coolant, household furnace fuel, and
  (c) a sump type automatic transmission filter
• Non-refillable pressurized containers: pressurized containers that are used for the supply of a gas product, including propane, but cannot be refilled

Category B:

• Antifreeze: a product that contains ethylene or propylene glycol used or intended for use as a vehicle engine coolant
• Oil containers: containers that have a capacity of 30 litres or less and that are used for the supply of new lubricating oil
• Solvents: products that are liquid intended to be used to dissolve or thin a compatible substance, aresupplied in a container that has a capacity of 30 litres or 30 kg or less, and that meet one or both of the following criteria:
  • It is comprised of 10% or more of water-immiscible liquid hydrocarbons, including halogen-substituted liquid hydrocarbons
  • It is flammable and is as described in Clause 4.2 and as defined in Clause 7.2 of CSA Standard Z752-03, “Definition of Household Hazardous Waste”
• Paints and coatings: latex, oil or solvent-based architectural coatings and includes paints and stains whether tinted or untinted, non-pesticide marine paints, paints for automotive craft and industrial applications
• Pesticides: pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or insecticides that are registered under the Pest Control Products Act (Canada)

Category C:

• Barometers: barometers, intended for residential use, that contain mercury and may contain electronic components
• Thermometers: thermometers that are intended for residential use to measure body or air temperature, that contain mercury and may contain electronic components
• Thermostats: thermostats that contain mercury, and may contain electronic components

Category D:

• Fertilizers: substance or mixture of substances containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium or other plant food, manufactured, sold or represented for use as a plant nutrient and regulated under the Fertilizers Act (Canada)

Category E:

• Refillable propane containers: propane containers that can be refilled, have a water capacity of 109 litres or less and are used only for propane
• Refillable pressurized containers: pressurized containers that are used for the supply of a gas product and can be refilled

For more guidance, read the “What HSP Needs to be Reported?” Compliance Bulletin.

We encourage anybody who believes an entity is a free rider to contact RPRA’s Compliance and Registry Team at 1-833-600-0530 or by emailing [email protected] with information about that entity. RPRA reviews every free rider allegation that is referred to us.

We do not share information about our inspections or progress on specific free rider cases.

See our FAQ to understand “What is a free rider?” and “What is RPRA’s approach to free riders?”

A public collection site must be readily accessible to the public and accept designated used materials during regular business hours. Publicly accessible collection sites and events appear on the Where to Recycle map.

A private collection site (e.g. office or school that collects designated materials) does not need to be publicly accessible. Private collection sites do not appear on the map.

Read this related FAQ: What does it mean for a collection site to be readily accessible to the public?