Frequently asked questions

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  • Ontario Recycles shares data that is reported to the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) and RPRA publishes the data to inform the public about Ontario’s progress in advancing a circular economy. RPRA is the regulator mandated by the Government of Ontario to enforce the province’s recycling laws.

    Ontario’s recycling laws outline what materials are required to be recycled in the province. These same laws require businesses to report to RPRA the amount of material they supply into Ontario and how much material they recycle. The reporting of this information helps ensure that businesses are fulfilling their legal requirements and materials are properly collected and recycled across the province.

    RPRA publishes this data annually to both of its websites. However, the type of data and how it’s presented differ across the two sites: ontariorecycles.ca is intended for the general public and rpra.ca is intended for businesses with requirements under the province’s recycling laws.

    To learn more, read our “What is RPRA?” FAQ

  • Businesses are required to report data to RPRA for materials they supplied and recycled from the previous year or, in some cases, two years prior, depending on the material-⁠specific reporting requirements. RPRA publishes the data to Ontario Recycles the year the data is reported. This results in a one- to two-⁠year gap between the year the activity (supply or recycling) occurred and the date the data is reported to RPRA.

    Looking at batteries data as an example, in 2025, businesses were required to report the weight of single-⁠use batteries they supplied in 2024, the weight of rechargeable batteries they supplied in 2023 and the weight of batteries recycled in 2024. The 2023/2024 supply data and 2024 recycling data that was submitted to RPRA in 2025 and was published to Ontario Recycles (and rpra.ca) in 2026, as noted by the “Data last updated..” date at the top of the page.

    To learn more, read our “What is RPRA?” FAQ.

  • In 2026, Ontario’s Blue Box Program completed its three-⁠year transition to the new extended producer responsibility (EPR) system, where the businesses that produce Blue Box materials are responsible for recycling them. This multi-⁠year transition allowed municipalities to shift to the new system in phases.

    These businesses are required to start reporting to RPRA the weight of Blue Box materials they recycle each year in 2027, following the multi-⁠year transition period. This data will be added to Ontario Recycles at that time.

    RPRA has made supply and collection data available on Ontario Recycles as that has been reported on throughout the transition period.

    To learn more about the program’s shift to EPR, see our Blue Box materials webpage.

    FAQ also applies to:
    Paper and plastic packaging

  • As it relates to the ‘How much is recycled’ data on Ontario Recycles, “recycled” means the weight of material that has been processed or broken down into different materials to be used in new products.

    In some instances, the recycling data on Ontario Recycles also includes the weight of materials that were reused (e.g., tires) or refurbished (e.g., batteries, electronics and lighting). This is clearly noted on the “How much is recycled” webpages.

    Ontario’s recycling laws outline the various methods (recycle, reuse, refurbishment) that are accepted for each material group to ensure resources stay out of landfills.

    See our ‘What does “supplied” mean?’ FAQ.

  • For batteries, Blue Box materials, electronics, Household hazardous materials, lighting and tires, a consumer is

    • A person who buys a product (e.g., mobile phone, batteries) for their own use
    • A business that buys the product for the business’s own use

    For Blue Box materials, a consumer is a person who buys and uses a product and its packaging for personal, family or household purposes.

  • As it relates to the ‘How much is recycled’ data on Ontario Recycles, “supplied” means the weight of material businesses provide (e.g., sell, rent, gift) to consumers in Ontario each year.

    See our ‘What does “recycled” mean?’ and ‘Who is considered a “consumer”?’ FAQs.

  • The availability of recycling data on Ontario Recycles is dependent on that specific material’s transition to the province’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) framework.

    Ontario’s recycling laws specify the timeline for a material to transition to the EPR framework, as well as the dates for businesses to report to RPRA on how much they supply and recycle.

    The materials that transitioned to EPR earlier will have more years of recycling data available. For example, tires transitioned to EPR before Blue Box and therefore has more recycling data available.

    Visit our ‘How much is recycled’ webpage for data from all materials.

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