As per Ministerial direction, the Blue Box Program managed by Stewardship Ontario will cease operations at the close of business on December 31, 2025.
As a reminder, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) issued direction to Stewardship Ontario and the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) to transition the management of Ontario’s legacy Blue Box Program to full extended producer responsibility (EPR), as outlined in the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016 (RRCEA) and its associated regulations. More information can be found here.
Effective January 1, 2026, all municipalities and First Nations communities that operated under the legacy program will transition to the Ontario government’s full EPR program. As Stewardship Ontario’s journey ends, we want to extend our sincere appreciation for your continued support and partnership over the past 20 years. We look forward to the exciting advances to drive a circular economy across our province in the years ahead.
If you have any questions about the close of Stewardship Ontario operations, steward refunds for 2025 fees or upcoming Municipal Funding Allocation Model (MFAM) payments, please contact info@stewardshipontario.ca.
If you have any questions about the new EPR program, please visit the RPRA website or contact registry@rpra.ca.