With the recent final approval of Blue Box simplified fee setting most stewards will no longer need to report their annual supply data to Stewardship Ontario for the remaining years of the program, which ceases operations at the end of 2025. Stewards should note upcoming deadlines related to the implementation of simplified fees.
For stewards who do not need to report, annual fees will be calculated from each steward’s budget share, with the percentage based on individual steward fees for invoice years 2021 and 2022 (2019 and 2020 sales data years). The deadline to complete a Steward-Initiated Adjustment Request for this sales data is July 31, 2022.
Circumstances where the simplified fee setting model will not apply are detailed in the Policy for Simplified Steward Fee Setting During the Blue Box Wind Up. The policy requires stewards to provide notification to Stewardship Ontario by July 31, 2022, if the following qualifying events will apply to their future annual fee calculation:
- Divestiture of a Business Subsidiary or Product Line and potentially the corresponding acquisition by another steward.
- Discontinuance of a Product Line.
Stewardship Ontario is available to assist with questions about how the Policy circumstances apply to individual situations and can advise on specific reporting requirements and timelines. Please contact us: werecycle@stewardshipontario.ca.
RPRA Reporting
Note that most stewards (referred to as producers under the new Blue Box Regulation) will likely be required to register with RPRA – if they have not done so already – and submit 2021 designated material information in the fall of 2022, regardless of whether material reports were submitted to Stewardship Ontario. Regulatory requirements under the new Blue Box Regulation are in effect at the same time as steward obligations to Stewardship Ontario continue through to the transition of the Blue Box Program. Stewards are strongly advised to confirm their registration and reporting obligations with RPRA. Additional information, including reporting deadlines, is available on the RPRA website.