If you sell packaged products in Canada, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) likely applies to you. Under EPR, brands pay for recycling the packaging their products come in. Canada has run EPR programs for over 20 years. But in 2027, the way you sort your packaging for reporting changes in almost every province and territory. And the report you file in May 2027 covers what you're selling right now, in 2026.
Here's how Canada EPR works, what's changing, and what to do this year so next May isn't a scramble.
Canada doesn't have one EPR program. It has nine.
There is no national packaging EPR law in Canada. Instead, nine provinces and territories each run their own program: Ontario, Québec, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Yukon.
Each one sets its own rules on who pays, which materials count, and how much. So a brand can owe fees in one province and be exempt in the next.
The programs are also at very different stages. British Columbia has had brands fully funding recycling since 2014. Nova Scotia and Yukon only got there in late 2025. Saskatchewan won't finish its transition until 2028.
Beyond traditional packaging, some Canadian EPR programs also cover packaging-like products and certain single-use items. What’s included varies by province, so brands need to check the requirements for each market.
Does Canada EPR apply to you? Four questions, asked per province
Whether you owe is decided province by province, using four tests.
- Where are you based? Each province decides whether your location makes you the responsible business. Some only count brand owners located in that province. If you're located elsewhere, the responsibility can pass to your importer or retailer there. Others count brand owners located anywhere in Canada. Saskatchewan recently switched to this wider rule, which pulled in brands that were previously exempt. Québec even includes foreign brands that sell direct to Québec shoppers through their own website.
- Where do you sit in the supply chain? Usually the brand owner pays if it's based in Canada. If not, the first importer. If neither, the retailer.
- Do you sell materials that the province covers? Each province keeps its own material category list.
- Are you big enough? Each province sets a revenue threshold (in CAD) and often a weight threshold too.
Exemption Thresholds by Province
*Manitoba producer criteria: (1) Manitoba business presence, (2) covered packaging or printed paper, (3) a qualifying supply-chain role, and (4) Manitoba revenue above $750,000.
Important: Falling below a threshold doesn’t always mean you’re fully exempt. Depending on the province, you may still need to report, confirm your exemption or keep supporting records.
Who you report to in Canada:
In US EPR states, you report to one organization per state (for now). In Canada, a brand selling nationwide may need to report to a producer responsibility organization (PRO), a provincial regulatory authority, or both.
Most Canadian packaging EPR programs use producer responsibility organizations (PROs) to manage recycling obligations. Depending on the province, businesses may also need to register or report directly to a regulator.
WeRecycle is a shared online portal, not a program. Several PROs use it to collect your data.
Two bills, not one. In Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, you can get a PRO fee for recycling plus a separate oversight fee for the regulator. They don't always arrive together, so budget for both. For what PROs are charging in 2027, see Canada's 2027 EPR fees: what's rising and what's flat.
Reports are due May 31 every year in all nine programs. If Circular Materials files to RPRA or Divert NS for you, your data is due to them by May 15.
What changes in 2027: one new list of 62 categories
When you report, you sort your packaging data into categories, like "clear PET bottles" or "paper boxes", and each category has its own fee rate.
Until now, each province had its own category list. Starting January 1, 2027, five PROs (Circular Materials, ÉEQ, MMSM, SK Recycles and Recycle BC) switch to one shared list of 62 categories. The categories used for reporting will vary by jurisdiction. For example, Québec will use 48 of the 62 categories to meet its provincial requirements.
The catch: your 2027 report covers 2026 sales. The report due May 31, 2027 must sort the packaging you're selling this year into the new categories.
What changes: category names and boundaries. Some are renamed, some are new, some are merged, and some old categories split into several.
What doesn't change:
- How you weigh your packaging
- Who in the supply chain is responsible
- Which materials each province covers
- Revenue and weight thresholds
- Fee rates, which each program still sets on its own
One list does not mean one set of rules. Regulators that collect their own data (RPRA, ARMA and Divert NS) keep their own categories, and each province still decides which categories it covers.
What this means for you:
- If you've reported before: Your old categories won't carry over. Start mapping your 2026 data to the new list now, so you aren't rebuilding your report at the last minute.
- If you're reporting for the first time: Collect your 2026 data using the new list for your 2027 annual report. When back-reporting past years, use the original category list that was legally in effect for each of those years.
Not sure where to start? Talk to our team about your Canada EPR obligations and how to get your 2026 data ready.
What to do now in 2026
The data you need for May 2027 has to be gathered during 2026. Details you don't capture now are hard to rebuild later.
- Send supplier data requests now. Ask for color, format, size, film purity and beverage use per component. Responses can take months.
- Pull your past reports if you've filed before, and review the new category definitions.
- Re-map your categories using the PROs' published mapping guides, province by province.
- Gather proof for deductions. Packaging that never reaches a Canadian household, like exported or unsold stock, can be subtracted from your report. But only with evidence.
- Keep records for at least five years.
Reporting for the first time? You may need to submit reports for previous years if your business was already obligated. The reporting history required depends on the province and when your obligations began.
Get the 2027 Canada EPR Checklist. Every step above, with province tables and action items. Download now.
Need help streamlining Canada EPR compliance? See how rePurpose centralizes your supply data and keeps you current in every province you sell into. Book a demo.
FAQ
Does my PRO handle the new categories for me? No. A PRO reports what you give it. Sorting your packaging into the right categories, and getting the data to do it, is still on you. That data work is the most time-consuming part of EPR compliance. rePurpose takes it off your hands, pairing the speed of our software with the guidance of our EPR experts, so you can report with confidence.
How many PROs do I report to in Canada? Depending on where you sell in Canada, you may need to report to up to 13 organizations, including PROs and regulators.
Can I wait until 2027 to deal with this? 2027 is when you file. 2026 is the data. Waiting until reporting is due can make the transition harder. Review your 2026 packaging data now so you can identify missing details and prepare for the new categories before the 2027 reporting cycle.
Does my US EPR process work for Canada? Your existing packaging data may give you a head start, but Canada’s reporting categories, producer definitions, exemptions, and deadlines differ from those in the US. You’ll need to adapt your process for each applicable Canadian program.
Will my fees change in 2027? In most provinces, yes. See Canada 2027 EPR Fees by Province, Explained for the province-by-province breakdown.
Sources
- Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA). “Blue Box Producers.” Accessed October 29, 2026.
- Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ). “Small Producers’ Policy.” ÉEQ Reporting Portal. Amended March 27, 2026.
- Recycle Manitoba. “Registration, Reporting and Fees for Producers.” Accessed October 29, 2026.
- Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ). “2026 Producers’ Financial Participation.” Producer webinar presentation, October 28, 2025.
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