Frequently asked questions

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

Ontario’s recycling laws outline what materials are required to be recycled by businesses in the province. Currently, there are six material groups captured under those laws: batteries, electronics, household hazardous waste, lighting, tires, and Blue Box materials.

Ontario Recycles provides information about the materials required under the province’s recycling laws, which are enforced by RPRA. If you need to recycle other materials, like clothes or kitchen appliances, please contact the waste management department at your municipality for proper disposal instructions.

Note: The Ontario Government is responsible for writing the province’s recycling laws and selecting the materials required to be recycled.

To learn more about the types of materials that are accepted for recycling under Ontario’s recycling laws, please see our ‘What can be recycled’ webpages.

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.

The Where to Recycle map displays locations across Ontario where you can drop off used materials for free to be recycled, such as batteries, electronics, household hazardous waste (e.g., paint, antifreeze, pesticides), lighting and tires. Materials collected at these locations are reused, refurbished, recycled, or properly disposed of to help keep them out of landfill, recover valuable resources and protect our environment. 

The map does not display locations for Blue Box materials because they are typically collected directly from residences. For more information on recycling Blue Box materials, visit Circular Materials’ website. Circular Materials is the administrator of Ontario’s Blue Box program.

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 Where to Recycle map displays locations that the public can drop off used materials to be recycled, such as batteries, electronics, household hazardous waste (e.g., paint, antifreeze, pesticides), lighting and tires, for free. For specific examples of materials accepted and important information to know before dropping off materials, visit the Where to Recycle Map page.

The map does not display locations for Blue Box materials because they are typically collected directly from residences. For more information on recycling Blue Box materials, visit Circular Materials’ website.

The businesses that supply products and packaging into the province are fully responsible for the cost and operations of Ontario’s recycling programs for batteries, electronics, household hazardous waste, lighting, tires, and Blue Box materials. Most businesses will work with external companies to provide collection and recycling services on their behalf.

The Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) does not arrange for the collection or recycling of materials in Ontario. As the regulator, RPRA is responsible for ensuring businesses meet their recycling requirements and materials are properly collected and recycled across the province.

Also see our FAQ, “What is RPRA?”

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.