Ontario passes full EPR for packaging
by Rachel Langhill at 13:31 in Emerging, Environmental, Packaging
Under a regulation from the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act of 2016, which was recently approved, producers of packaging and printed paper in Ontario will be required to assume full financial and operational responsibility for collecting, managing and financing designated materials, which up until now only required producers to contribute 50% funding towards the system. The transition to full financial producer responsibility will begin on 1st July 2023 and will continue until 31st December 2025.
The new regulation allows producers to have the option to fulfill their obligations individually, by creating their own plans, or to join a producer responsibility organization (PRO). Competitive PRO schemes will be able to operate under the new regulation, a departure from the current regime where only one PRO exists. Producers that are currently obligated in Ontario and are registered with the PRO, Stewardship Ontario, will be able to continue their services with Stewardship Ontario during the transition period.
Key dates and milestones:
- From August 1, 2021 – November 1, 2021: PROs must register with Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA), the authority organization in charge or enforcing the regulation.
- On or before October 1, 2021: Producers of packaging and printed paper must register with and pay a registration fee to RPRA. The registration fee will be based on 2020 packaging volumes (a comment period on the registration fees is open with RPRA until August 3, 2021).
- July 1, 2023: RPRA assumes responsibility for administration and enforcement of the recovery and recycling system for packaging and printed paper and management under Stewardship Ontario will cease. Producers become responsible for delivering and financing the recovery and recycling services in Ontario.
RPRA is committed to providing details about the registration process ahead of the deadlines.
The regulation can be accessed here. To learn more about the new regulation and how to remain compliant in Ontario, please contact Lorax EPI today to speak to one of our consultants.
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