Introduction
Stewardship Ontario (SO) initiated and then operated the province’s legacy Blue Box Program for recycling packaging and printed paper from February 14, 2003, to December 31, 2025.
Effective January 1, 2026, the Blue Box Program will fully transition to the Ontario government’s new resource recovery framework – called extended producer responsibility (EPR) – in which the businesses (producers) that supply printed paper and packaging into the marketplace are fully responsible for financing and operating the collection and processing system for those designated materials under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act (RRCEA). The Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) is responsible for administering the regulations.
This document outlines the transition and wind up of the legacy Blue Box Program, which has been the cornerstone of Ontario’s recycling efforts as the program shifts to a producer-led model under the RRCEA. Included in this document is an overview of the program’s history, the transition process and key transition materials for reference.
Historic Blue Box Program
Stewardship Ontario has operated the province’s Blue Box recycling program for packaging and printed paper since 2003.
In August 2019, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) directed Stewardship Ontario to wind up the existing Blue Box Program and develop a Transition Plan for an extended producer responsibility (EPR) model whereby producers became fully responsible for both the funding and the operation of residential recycling across the province. Stewardship Ontario does not have a role in the new model.
The first Ontario communities began transitioning to the new framework on July 1, 2023. The transition will be completed on December 31, 2025, after which Stewardship Ontario will cease operations and be wound up as an organization.
Please note that historical materials such as Annual Reports, Regulatory Filings and fee setting informationcan be found on the Stewardship Ontario website.
Transition Plan to Wind Up Operations
Following ministerial direction in August 2019, Stewardship Ontario initiated steps to wind up the Blue Box Program, beginning with creating a Transition Plan. The Blue Box Program Transition Plan was developed with extensive stakeholder consultations conducted by both Stewardship Ontario and the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA). The Plan was approved by the RPRA in December 2020 with six conditions, all of which were subsequently met.
Blue Box Program Wind Up Documents
Below is a list of the key documents related to the wind up of Stewardship Ontario. Please note that additional background information and documentation can be found on both the Stewardship Ontario and Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) websites.
Ministerial Direction Letters
- August 2019: Letter instructing Stewardship Ontario to wind up operations.
- April 2020: Letter granting Stewardship Ontario a Transition Plan extension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transition Plan Development and Consultation
- Stewardship Ontario’s approved Blue Box Program Transition Plan.
- Letter from RPRA regarding the Blue Box Program Transition Plan Conditions.
- Update regarding the Blue Box Program Transition Plan Conditions.
- Stewardship Ontario’s Blue Box Program Transition Plan Consultation Report.
- RPRA’s Consultation Report regarding Stewardship Ontario’s Proposed Blue Box Program Transition and Stewardship Ontario Wind-Up Plan.
Simplified Fees
- RPRA’s approval regarding the Revised Fee Setting Methodology Addendum to the Blue Box Program Wind Up Plan (Simplified Fees).
- Addendum: Blue Box Program Transition Plan Revised Fee Setting Methodology for 2023-2025.
- Policy for Simplified Steward Fee Setting During the Blue Box Wind Up.
- Adjusted Blue Box Rules for Simplified Fees.
Refund of General Reserve
- Notice to stewards regarding the Refund of Stewardship Ontario’s General Reserve, including eligibility and associated timelines.