The Resource Productivity & Recovery Authority (RPRA) has provided final approvals for Blue Box simplified fee setting. Stewardship Ontario can confirm that most stewards will no longer need to report their annual supply data to Stewardship Ontario.
 
RPRA had provided conditional approval of simplified fee setting on March 2, 2022. Stewardship Ontario has now satisfied the conditions and the Rules for Stewards and the Policy that will guide implementation have been finalized.
 
The Policy for Simplified Steward Fee Setting During the Blue Box Wind Up includes the following optional and mandatory circumstances where the simplified fee setting model will not apply:

  • Stewards that Enter the Ontario Market, Leave the Ontario Market, or have not Filed their Complete and Accurate 2020 and 2021 Reports for any Reason (data reports need to be submitted via the WeRecycle Portal)
  • Divestiture of a Business Subsidiary or Product Line and potentially the corresponding acquisition by another steward
  • Discontinuance of a Product Line
  • Newspapers that are Subject to the CNA/OCNA Amendment to the Stewardship Ontario Blue Box Program Plan (data reports need to be submitted via the WeRecycle Portal).
 
Stewards are encouraged to review the simplified fee documents available on the Stewardship Ontario website to determine if they may be required to submit detailed material reports to Stewardship Ontario for the remaining years of the program, which ceases operations in 2025.
 
Stewardship Ontario is available to assist with questions about how the Policy circumstances apply to individual situations and can advise on specific reporting requirements and timelines. Please contact us: werecycle@stewardshipontario.ca.
 
Note that most stewards (referred to as producers under the new Blue Box Regulation), will likely be required to submit 2021 designated material information to RPRA in the fall of 2022, regardless of whether or not material reports were submitted Stewardship Ontario. Stewards should refer to the RPRA website for additional details, including reporting deadlines.