Please see below a summary of the EPR (Blue Box) fees for paper-based packaging in the five current programs across Canada.
The fees for corrugated and boxboard range from $90 a tonne in Saskatchewan to $240 a tonne In British Columbia, reflecting both the varying costs to collect materials in different geographies but also the extent of industry (steward) funding.
For example, our customers (the consumer packaged goods companies) and their customers (the retailers) currently pay 50% of the net costs of Ontario’s Blue Box program but 100% in British Columbia. Ontario is planning to go to 100 percent.
More difficult to recycle materials generally cost more in fees (for example, gable tops and aseptic cartons).
Also worthy of note is that the funding formula is new for three of the provinces (BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) and would be for Ontario if the Minister of Environment and Climate Change didn’t have to bless it. Because of this regulatory process, Ontario must wait. Quebec also has its own regulatory peculiarities which account for some of the differences to other programs.
But the overall direction of the fees under the new CSSA formula is positive for paper generally. The new factors introduced into the formula hit plastic packaging harder because it cost more to recycle.
Here are the lists of the 2017 fees by province. Click on the province you want to look at. Please note that the fees are expressed in cents/kg not tonnes as above.
