Frequently Asked Questions

There have been some key changes to the material definitions which may affect what a producer is obligated for and should be considered if using data previously reported:

• 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

Paints, pesticides, solvents fertilizers obligated under the HSP Regulation along with their primary packaging must be accepted at collection sites collecting the corresponding material. For instance, empty paint cans and pesticide aerosols obligated under the HSP Regulation must be accepted at collection sites collecting paint and pesticides.

See our FAQ to understand “Under the HSP Regulation, is the packaging of antifreeze, pesticides, solvents, paints and coatings obligated?” and “Are containers that are obligated under the HSP Regulation obligated as Blue Box materials?“

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, refillable pressurized containers, solvents, paints and coatings picked up from a collection site must be processed within three months from the date of the pickup
• Producers of pesticides must ensure that pesticides are properly disposed of at an HSP disposal facility registered with the Authority no later than three months after the day the pesticides are collected
• Producers must ensure that materials are processed by an HSP processor registered with the Authority. 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

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

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

Category A:

• Oil Filters: produced and/or arriving in Ontario, and which are for sale, directly or as part of a product
  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: that are used for the supply of a gas product, including propane, but cannot be refilled

Category B:

• Refillable pressurized containers: that are used for the supply of a gas and can be refilled
• Antifreeze: that contains ethylene or propylene glycol used or intended for use as a vehicle engine coolant
• Oil containers: that have a capacity of 30 litres or less and that was manufactured and used for the purpose of containing new lubricating oil
• Solvents: that are used to dissolve or thin a compatible substance, comprised of 10% or more of water-immiscible liquid hydrocarbons, including halogen-substituted liquid hydrocarbons
• Paints and coatings: that contain latex, oil or solvent-based architectural coatings whether tinted or untinted, non-pesticide marine paints, paints for automotive craft and industrial applications
• Pesticides: fungicides, herbicides or insecticides that are registered under the Pest Control Products Act

Category C:

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

Category D:

• Fertilizers: any 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: A pressurized container that can be refilled, has a water capacity of 109 litres or less and is used only for propane

See our FAQ to understand “Is the packaging of antifreeze, pesticides, solvents, paints and coatings obligated?” and “What are the key changes to antifreeze, solvents, refillable pressurized containers, paints and coatings material definitions?”

From October 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022, producers are required to establish the following:

• Collection sites – maintain at least the same number of sites that producers had at the end of the MHSW Program
• Collection events – make best efforts to hold the same number of events in each community as in 2020
• Call-in Service (only applicable to large producers) – provide a phone number for communities to call to request a pickup (of 100 kg or more) if requested by a council of the band, a municipality or a territorial district not located in the Far North, a depot owned or operated by the Crown not in the Far North.

Large 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.

See our FAQ to understand “Am I a small, large or exempt HSP producer?“

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.

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 registry@rpra.ca.  

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. 

No, products or packaging designated as Hazardous and Special Products (HSP) are not obligated under the Blue Box Regulation. For example, primary packaging for paints and coatings are HSP and therefore not obligated as Blue Box materials.

Some packaging for HSP products may still be obligated. For example, the packaging that contains an oil filter is obligated as Blue Box materials.

Consult the HSP Regulation or the Compliance and Registry Team for further information.

A person is considered a producer under the HSP Regulation if they supply oil filters, oil containers, antifreeze, solvents, paints and coatings, pesticides, fertilizers, pressurized containers or refillable propane containers and: 

• are the brand holder and has residency in Canada 
• import from outside Ontario and has residency in Ontario 
• markets directly to consumers in Ontario (e.g., online sales) and has residency in Ontario 
• markets directly to consumers and does not have residency in Ontario 

A person is considered a producer under the HSP Regulation if they supply mercury-containing barometers, thermometers or thermostats and: 

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

A person is considered a producer under the HSP Regulation if they supply fertilizers and: 

• are the brand holder and has residency in Canada 

Even if you do not meet the above definitions, there may be circumstances where you qualify as a producer. Contact the Compliance Team at registry@rpra.ca or 833-600-0530 if you have questions. 

Related FAQs: 

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

There have been some key changes to the producer hierarchies in the HSP Regulation. This may affect what a producer is obligated for and should be considered if using data previously reported.

Hierarchy change for producers in all categories:

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

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?”

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 Where to Recycle map displays locations that 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. For specific examples of materials accepted and important information to know before dropping off materials, visit the Where to Recycle map.