SINGLE-USE PRODUCTS, PACKAGING AND PAPER PRODUCTS
REGISTRATIONS ARE still being accepted!
Click on the link to begin the registration process. If you require assistance, please contact epr@albertarecycling.ca
PPP OVERVIEW
Each year, Alberta municipalities collect and process 197,600 tonnes of recyclable packaging and paper products from households at a cost of about $107 million, as estimated by a 2019 study.
One of the first systems of the new EPR framework is single-use products, packaging and printed paper products (PPP).
PPP includes the following materials from the residential sector:
- paper products such as newspapers, packaging, cardboard, printed paper and magazines
- plastics (both rigid and flexible)
- metal and glass
Alberta’s EPR framework does not include PPP from the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors. PPP materials regulated under existing regulated stewardship programs (beverage containers, electronics, paint, tires, and used oil materials) are not included in EPR PPP to avoid duplicating requirements.
ARMA, as the oversight body, will be the central information hub for EPR. See below for further information related to PPP:
- REGULATION & BYLAWS
- POLICIES & PROCEDURES
- PRODUCER OBLIGATIONS & REGISTRATION
Procedures and Policies
- Access, Privacy, and Records Management Policy
- Affiliation Policy
- Affiliation Policy Backgrounder
- Code of Conduct and Ethics
- Dispute Resolution Policy
- Fee Setting Policy
- Inspection Policy
- Procedural Fairness Policy
- Producer and PRO Delegation Procedure
- Registration Policy
- Community Registration Procedure
- Sample PPP Community Registration Application Form
- Sample HSP Community Registration Application Form
- PPP Producer Registration Procedure
- HSP Producer Registration Procedure
Collection Service Standards
Material Guides
Supply Reporting Resources
- PPP Supply Report Guide (update, June 3, 2024)
- HSP Supply Report Guide (update, June 3, 2024)
- Brand Template
- Attestation Form
- Producer and PRO Delegation Procedure
Verification Procedure – Supply & Collection
We understand that EPR implementation will take time, and we are using a phased approach to ensure a smooth transition.
Alberta’s EPR Regulation came into effect on November 30, 2022. The government and ARMA recognize it will take time for producers to develop their EPR systems, including considerations for collection and material management.
Most producers will be required to provide verification of collection and management plans to the ARMA by October 1, 2024. Phase I of the EPR system will be operational by April 1, 2025. Additional key dates in the implementation process can be found here.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Click on the icons below to go to see FAQs related to the corresponding categories.
FAQ: Communities (unregistered)
A community is a corporation controlled by a municipality or a regional services commission.
A community would fall under one of these provincial acts:
- Municipal Government Act, such as city, town, village, summer village, municipal district or improvement district is a community.
- A special area that falls under the Special Areas Act
- A settlement that falls under the Metis Settlement Act
- And a reserve that falls under the Municipal Government act
For communities that already have waste and recycling programs, producers will become responsible for the collection system of designated materials. This responsibility will be transferred to producers/PROs through a negotiation process that is facilitated with support from ARMA.
Those who registered for EPR by December 31, 2023, can expect producers/PROs to assume responsibility for these services starting in April 2025.
No, a community is not required to participate in the EPR program. Likewise, should your community register to engage in service contract negotiations and change your decision, you are able to deregister from the process.
ARMA is committed to ensuring that every municipality feels confident in its decision to register and activate the EPR system in their community. As such, part of ARMA’s role as the oversight body for EPR is to provide accessible and comprehensive information to support your decision. Please email our support team at epr@albertarecycling.ca if you have questions about EPR, or would like more information about registering.
A producer responsibility organization (PRO) is a business established to contract with producers to provide collection management and administrative services to help producers meet their regulatory obligations under the Regulation.
The registration process for a community will look like this:
- Pre-Register: Starting October 2, communities can sign up on ARMA Connect to show interest in participating in the EPR program.
- Information Gathering: The community will collect the information needed to complete the registration.
- Discussion: Concurrently with the previous step, communities can work with PROs to determine a mutually beneficial common collection.
- Registration: If you were to participate in Phase I, the required registration information as a community participating in EPR was required by December 31, 2023. Registration information received after this date will place the community in Phase II.
- Transition: Communities will work with the registered PROs to establish a contract and determine a transition plan for collection services.
- Operational: Phase I of the EPR system will be operational starting April 2025.
Communities can opt-out at any time during the process.
Yes, once a municipality registers for EPR, they are able to deregister if they choose to no longer proceed with the registration process. A community may deregister from EPR as long as they have not executed a contract with a PRO.
PROs and/or Producers will provide a telephone number and an email address where a person may submit requests for new collection containers or concerns relating to product collection.
Yes, PROs are non-profit organizations and charge for their services to producers. Each commercial contract a producer enters with a PRO will have its own set of terms and conditions. It is up to the PRO and producer to determine the terms of their contractual agreement, including fees and payment schedule. ARMA does not set the terms of the contractual arrangements between PROs and producers.
If a community is below the revenue threshold, they do not need to register as a producer, and no report is required. If a community is above the revenue threshold and below all material thresholds, then they still need to register and report.
No, each role is a separate registration record and Communities must register separately for each role.
PROs and producers will need to annually report on performance. The verification submission will include education and promotion plans, which must be submitted to ARMA by April 1, 2024, for PPP and October 1, 2024, for HSP.
Yes, the account administrator on your current ARMA Connect account can add additional users via the “Manage Users” functionality in the drop-down menu on the top right of the Program Selection page next to the current users’ name. This will allow multiple contacts to be associated with an account as well as give the account administrator the ability to specify which program and level of administrative access they have.
If a municipality or Indigenous community cannot supply all required information at the time of registration, it may delay the program start date for the community. We ask that you provide as much information as possible during registration to avoid delays.
Please get in touch with the ARMA EPR team at epr@albertarecycling.ca before submitting your registration form to discuss any information you may be lacking.
Yes—if a community registers for EPR the multi-family dwellings within the community can receive recycling services under EPR. Please note that this will be dependent upon the cooperation of the independent multi-family dwelling owners/managers. The PRO will work closely with the community to educate and promote participation in EPR to the multi-family dwellings. If a community registers for EPR, multi-family dwellings in their community will be eligible to receive recycling services in Phase Two of EPR which begins October 1, 2026.
FAQ: Communities (Registered)
Single-family dwelling collection every two (2) weeks is the minimum level of service set in the regulation. A municipality would negotiate their contract with the PRO for the service level that they require.
A producer responsibility organization (PRO) is a business established to contract with producers to provide collection management and administrative services to help producers meet their regulatory obligations under the Regulation.
As a need for additional depots become necessary, producers and PROs would be responsible for the cost of building and developing new service depots to meet the needs of communities and producers.
Where depots are used to fulfill EPR requirements, producers are responsible for employing any staff that are needed to operate these facilities.
Yes, PROs are non-profit organizations and charge for their services to producers. Each commercial contract a producer enters with a PRO will have its own set of terms and conditions. It is up to the PRO and producer to determine the terms of their contractual agreement, including fees and payment schedule. ARMA does not set the terms of the contractual arrangements between PROs and producers.
PROs and producers will need to annually report on performance. The verification submission will include education and promotion plans, which must be submitted to ARMA by April 1, 2024, for PPP and October 1, 2024, for HSP.
The bylaws are intended to set a minimum requirement. The common collection standards will outline additional details with respect to certain performance expectations. This could include things like signage, missed collection and frequency of bin pickups to ensure sites are properly maintained.
ARMA does not communicate directly to consumers, as that is the responsibility of producers and/or PROs. ARMA recommends that communities and community authorities work directly with the producers/PRO to ensure there is an acceptable level of educational materials. As promotion and education could include (but not limited to) handouts for residents, producers and PROs could consider a quick printed reference guide that residents can refer to, as needed.
No, a community is not required to register as a processing facility solely because the community has a depot. Depots do fall under the EPR Regulation’s definition of a processing facility in Section 1(v), as depots receive “designated materials for recycling, downcycling, treatment or disposal”. However, the EPR Regulation doesn’t require processing facilities to register and the Bylaw 2.2 (HSP and PPP) only requires processing facilities to register if they intend to process designated materials on behalf of producers.
Producers with an annual gross revenue of less than $1.5 million from products and services in Alberta qualify for an exemption under the PPP regulations.
In the Depot Collection Standards document, it will be specified that the frequency of collection must be suitable for the capacity of the provided collection containers.
The first performance report is scheduled for 2028. The evaluation of the system’s effectiveness will focus on how producers are meeting the material management standards. However, the performance metrics for the common collection system are not anticipated to be detailed at the level of individual municipalities but at a provincial level.
All registered PROs can be found on the ARMA website. There are no registered PROs operating both programs at this time.
Styrofoam, or expanded polystyrene, falls under the designated Single-use Products, Packaging, and Paper Products (PPP) materials category in Alberta. Specifically, it is classified under rigid plastics and is covered under the Rigid Plastic category. Expanded polystyrene encompasses various items such as meat trays, beverage cups, packing peanuts, cushion packaging, and plastic egg cartons.
Metal recycling (under PPP) would include aluminum cans.
Any PRO that can meet the Regulatory requirements to operate in Alberta will be able to apply to register. It is an open market, and the Regulation does not place a limit on the number of PROs that can do business in Alberta.
If the smaller communities are not noted within the registration form, please contact ARMA with the details. We can still consider the smaller communities within if that is the intent.
ARMA has posted the HSP Material Guidelines and the PPP Material Guidelines documents on our website. These are meant to be a guide and may not be an exhaustive list.
Mattresses and Lighting are not material streams currently under the scope of the EPR Regulation.
PROs will use existing depots and augment them with additional collection points, where possible.
This will vary depending on several variables such as the terms of the current contract, what changes, if any, the community wants to make, whether the service provider is amendable to modifications and what arrangement the community has with the PRO. This will require a discussion with all three parties together (the communities, contracted service providers, PROs).
FAQ: Producer
A producer supplies material (packaging, paper producers or packaging-like products) comprised of paper, glass, metal or plastic, or a combination of these materials to consumers. This includes both products and the packaging for products.
A PPP producer is an entity that supplies materials made of paper, glass, metal, plastic, or a combination of these, to consumers. This includes both products and the packaging for products.
You might need to register as a PPP producer if:
- Your annual revenue is $1.5 million or more, and
- You supply more than the following amounts for residential use in Alberta per year:
a. 9 Tonnes of paper
b. 2 Tonnes of rigid plastic
c. 2 Tonnes of flexible plastic
d. 1 Tonne of glass
e. 1 Tonne of metal
No, where a producer is exempt, the regulatory obligations do not become the responsibility of the organization that is next in the producer hierarchy. While the exempt producer remains the “producer” for those materials, they are simply exempt from certain requirements under the regulation as set out in the relevant provisions providing for the exemption.
No, producers are not required to sign up with a PRO to meet their regulatory requirements. It is a business decision if a producer chooses to work with a PRO, and a producer can choose to meet their obligations without a PRO.
A producer responsibility organization (PRO) is a business established to contract with producers to provide collection management and administrative services to help producers meet their regulatory obligations under the Regulation.
PROs operate as not-for-profit entities and, as such, they charge producers for the services they provide. The specific terms and conditions, including fees and payment schedules, are determined within each individual contract between a PRO and a producer.
ARMA considers an aerosol container (associated with EPR) to be a non-refillable receptacle that contains a product and a propellant under pressure, and that is filled with a release device allowing the contents to be ejected as solid or liquid particles in suspension in a gas, or as a foam, paste, powder, liquid, or gas.
During the registration process, a producer can choose a PRO registered with ARMA to handle their reporting duties. The specific terms and conditions, including fees and payment schedules, are determined within each individual contract between a PRO and a producer.
Any public sector institution, including colleges and universities, that offers a self-serve hot drink machine for students and employees (i.e., consumers) must report all the PPP materials supplied with the machine to serve the hot drinks. This includes but is not limited to, branded and unbranded single-use cups, lids, or cup sleeves.
Yes, the account administrator on your current ARMA Connect account can add additional users via the “Manage Users” functionality in the drop-down menu on the top right of the Program Selection page next to the current users’ name. This will allow multiple contacts to be associated with an account as well as give the account administrator the ability to specify which program and level of administrative access they have.
A first importer is a company that is the first to take possession or control of products entering Alberta from outside the province. The first importer of a brand becomes the obligated producer of PPP associated with imported goods if the brand owner is not a resident of Canada (also see “What is a brand holder”).
Penalty rates for non-compliance are outlined in the bylaws, and these are per non-compliance. Regulation contravention penalties are out of the scope of oversight by ARMA.
Free riders are producers that supply designated materials and:
a) have not registered or reported to ARMA,
b) have not established a collection and management system (if they are required to), or
c) are not operating a collection and management system (if they are required to).
During the registration process, a producer can choose a PRO registered with ARMA to handle their reporting duties. The specific terms and conditions, including fees and payment schedules, are determined within each individual contract between a PRO and a producer.
If the PRO you collaborate with in other regions isn’t listed when you attempt to register in ARMA, it usually indicates they haven’t registered with us yet. Please contact your PRO and see if they plan to operate in Alberta.
Yes, ARMA has created an interim registration procedure for Producers.
No, additional measures are not required since our bylaws mandate third-party verification during the reporting process.
At ARMA, we perform a thorough vetting process for Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) to verify their compliance with the regulatory prerequisites, which include operating as a non-profit entity and confirming no affiliation with entities or individuals providing recycling or waste management services for designated materials. Nonetheless, it is crucial for producers to exercise their due diligence when choosing a PRO, as they would in any business relationship.
This is the commencement date of your agreement with a producer. In many cases, we expect this date to be prior to April 1, 2024, allowing PROs to submit verification plans on behalf of producers.
This is the commencement date of your agreement with a Producer. In many cases, we expect this date to be prior to April 1, 2024, allowing PROs to submit verification plans on behalf of producers.
The Supply Report comprises information about the quantities and types of materials supplied to Alberta within a specified time frame. The Verification Procedure will offer more detailed information about the contents of each report.
The Management Report covers the management and processing of designated materials, aligning with EPR regulation objectives. It encompasses data related to the collection, recycling, recovery, and disposal of each material type. The Verification Procedure will provide a comprehensive explanation of the contents of each report.
Existing producers of designated materials under EPR in Alberta will be required to register with ARMA as a Producer by March 1, 2024. Please note that joining a PRO that operates in Alberta does not mean the producer is registered in Alberta. Producers must still be registered with ARMA directly.
Yes, registration with ARMA to report as a supplier in any of Alberta’s stewardship programs is independent from the EPR-related obligation to register and report if you are also a PPP or HSP Producer. These are separate regulations. A producer can use the same ARMA Connect account and add a new registration for the PPP and/or HSP material streams under EPR. Additional users may be given access.
There is no deadline for a producer to decide on working with a PRO or not, nor selecting which PRO. However, there is a hard deadline for the submission of a verification plan—April 1, 2024 for PPP and October 1, 2024 for HSP.
To comply with this obligation by the deadline, a producer may:
a) join a PRO that is submitting a verification plan for a common collection system on behalf of their member producers; OR
b) submit their own alternative collection plan. If a producer has decided to work with a PRO, the delegation relationship must be documented in ARMA’s registry portal through your account.
Verified supply data is to be provided for 2022 and 2023 (one report for each year) by June 30, 2024, as a part of annual reporting. As outlined in the bylaws posted in September, Producers are required to provide verified supply data for the prior year (2022) as a part of registration (Bylaws sections 2.7(g) & 2.7(i)). To simplify the initial registration process, this more detailed requirement was deferred from the time of registration and shifted it to the same timing as when the 2023 supply data is due—June 30, 2024.
No, producers are not required to sign up with a PRO, producers can meet their regulatory requirements on their own. If using a PRO, producers can also decide on which requirements to use a PRO to help meet such as supply reporting, participation in the common collection system, material management reporting. PROs registered with ARMA will be posted on our website.
Yes, the bylaws currently outline what is required in the verification plan. Generally speaking, the verification plan should demonstrate that the producer has arrangements in place to meet its obligations to collect and manage Designated Materials. For further details, please refer to section 12 in the PPP bylaw or section 11 in the HSP bylaw. We have posted both Bylaws on our website.
Yes, a Producer may register in the system even if they do not know at the time of registration whether or not they will use a PRO. They can designate a PRO at a later date if they desire.
If a producer needs to switch their producer responsibility organization (PRO), this may be completed through their ARMA Connect account.
ARMA has waived the third-party verification requirement for the supply reports due on June 30, 2024, but will provide an attestation form to be signed and submitted along with the supply data.
The revenue threshold for obligated producers is inclusive of total revenue for the company in Alberta from all sales channels.
If a producer exceeds the $1.5 million revenue threshold and surpasses the volume limit for one category of designated material, they are required to submit an annual report to ARMA. This report will include details on the supply of designated materials, collection system requirements, and material management requirements for the prior calendar year. Additionally, third-party verification of these components is required. If a producer has retained the services of a PRO, they may elect to have the PRO report on one or more of these components on their behalf. Where a producer exceeds the revenue threshold but has one category of designated material over the volume limit, they will file an annual report with ARMA. They will also be subject to management targets and required to participate in the common collection system.
Regarding Producers who exceed the revenue threshold but fall below the designated material threshold as specified by the Bylaws, the following obligations apply: Registration: These Producers are required to register, submit supply reports annually, and maintain associated records. Exemptions: They are not obligated to pay fees, provide material management reports, or participate in the common collection system. They have the option to register with a PRO to have them prepare and submit reports on your company’s behalf, but it’s not a requirement.
Once you access ARMA Connect, you will be guided through the registration process, which includes a series of questions designed to determine your organization’s eligibility and requirements. If your organization qualifies for an exemption based on the responses provided during the registration process, you will receive an automated confirmation of exemption through the system.
ARMA asks them to provide an estimate based on the following: Estimated Annual Gross Revenue in Alberta = (P1/P2) x Canada National Gross Revenue, Where: “P1” represents the population of Alberta, as reported by Statistics Canada in the most recent official census. “P2” represents the total population of provinces and territories in Canada in which the producer sells the designated material, as reported by Statistics Canada in the most recent official census.
Yes, since the company came under new ownership in 2013, they can use 2013 as their first supply date.
Business Start Date: This refers to the date of incorporation of the business, which typically corresponds to the date of incorporation in Canada. First Supply Date: This indicates the date that designated material is first supplied into Alberta. It may coincide with the business start date, or it could be the date when your organization initially began shipping products to Alberta.
With respect to Private Label Brands, the retailers are considered the brand owner and are therefore required to register and report on the Private Label Brands. As for the registration and reporting obligations of the Cereal Manufacturer, they would register and report on brands that they manufacture and sell under their own brand name (e.g., Cereal Manufacturer Brand Cereal), when they are supplied into the Province of Alberta through any sales channel (e.g., through retail or online sales).
PPP is applicable to designated products that end up in the “blue box” of the residential consumer. The Car Manufacturing and Sales Company would supply (they do not necessarily have to “sell”) things like brochures (for cars, etc.), invoices (for cars that consumers purchase), invoices for car service, and they may have owner’s manuals that are provided to consumers with a car purchase. All these things would fall under PPP. They may also fall under HSP depending on the products that are used within their service department.
The designated Producer will relate to the brand name of the final product to consumers, the Retailing Company is the retailer where I buy the potato, if the bag is “Retailing Company Potatoes” then the Producer is the Retailing Company, if the bag says “Potato Gowing Company Potatoes” then it would be the Potato Growing Company that is the Producer, if the bag says “Packaging Company Potatoes” or there is no brand on the packaging, then the Producer would be the Packaging Company,
Collection begins April 1, 2025, for HSP and for PPP Phase 1.
The material management requirement targets for the purpose of compliance for producers is October 2027.
Styrofoam, or expanded polystyrene, falls under the designated Single-use Products, Packaging, and Paper Products (PPP) materials category in Alberta. Specifically, it is classified under rigid plastics and is covered under the Rigid Plastic category. Expanded polystyrene encompasses various items such as meat trays, beverage cups, packing peanuts, cushion packaging, and plastic egg cartons.
Metal recycling (under PPP) would include aluminum cans.
FAQ: Pro
A producer responsibility organization (PRO) is a business established to contract with producers to provide collection management and administrative services to help producers meet their regulatory obligations under the Regulation.
PROs and producers will need to annually report on performance. The verification submission will include education and promotion plans, which must be submitted to ARMA by April 1, 2024, for PPP and October 1, 2024, for HSP.
Yes, the account administrator on your current ARMA Connect account can add additional users via the “Manage Users” functionality in the drop-down menu on the top right of the Program Selection page next to the current users’ name. This will allow multiple contacts to be associated with an account as well as give the account administrator the ability to specify which program and level of administrative access they have.
During the registration process, a producer can choose a PRO registered with ARMA to handle their reporting duties. The specific terms and conditions, including fees and payment schedules, are determined within each individual contract between a PRO and a producer.
If a PRO completes their registration in ARMA Connect by November 17, ARMA will conduct due diligence and aim to activate them before producer registration opens on November 27. Any PROs registering after November 27 will be activated following the completion of ARMA’s due diligence process for each new registration.
At ARMA, we perform a thorough vetting process for Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) to verify their compliance with the regulatory prerequisites, which include operating as a non-profit entity and confirming no affiliation with entities or individuals providing recycling or waste management services for designated materials.
In Alberta, the annual reports for EPR compliance consist of several components for the prior calendar year: a) Supply Reporting: This component includes the supply of designated materials, indicating the weight of each designated material supplied into and within the Province of Alberta. The report provides a high-level overview, detailing the total weight per material type. This is similar to the type of report prepared for RPRA. The first Supply Report is due June 30, 2024. b) Materials Management Reporting: This section entails the material management requirements, outlining the amount of designated material types that are recycled, downcycled, or advanced chemical recycled in accordance with the Regulation. Please note that this report will not be required until the Common Collection System is operational. Third-Party Verification: Both components (a) and (b) above require third-party verification to ensure accuracy and compliance. Producers who have enlisted the services of a producer responsibility organization (PRO) may opt to have a delegated PRO report on one or more components on their behalf.
FAQ: ProCESSING FACILITY
A processing facility processes material that was supplied to a consumer and collected by PRO.
- Business information (e.g.: business name, contact information, etc.).
- Processing site location(s) and contact information.
- PPP materials accepted for processing at each location.
- Types of processing.
- Any producers or PROs the processor has contracted with.
No, a PRO cannot report on behalf of service providers (processing facilities).
Yes, the account administrator on your current ARMA Connect account can add additional users via the “Manage Users” functionality in the drop-down menu on the top right of the Program Selection page next to the current users’ name. This will allow multiple contacts to be associated with an account as well as give the account administrator the ability to specify which program and level of administrative access they have.
There is an obligation in the draft bylaws that the storage (or inventory) is reported annually as part of the annual reporting by the material processing facilities.
The reporting policy will outline ways to model or estimate the volumes of recyclable material collected when tonnage information is unavailable. The initial information required is meant to assist producers in developing the common collection system. Alternate information, such as the size of bins and frequency of collection, may be appropriate substitutions.
If the incoming materials are commingled, such as those collected from curbside collection, then the material would need to be tracked into the facility as mixed. The PRO or producer would still be obligated to meet the material management requirements on what materials have been separated and recycled. There is no metric for the incoming material; it is simply a metric of how much material has been managed by the processing facility.
No, a community is not required to register as a processing facility solely because the community has a depot. Depots do fall under the EPR Regulation’s definition of a processing facility in Section 1(v), as depots receive “designated materials for recycling, downcycling, treatment or disposal”. However, the EPR Regulation doesn’t require processing facilities to register and the Bylaw 2.2 (HSP and PPP) only requires processing facilities to register if they intend to process designated materials on behalf of producers.
Ideally, processing facilities located outside Alberta will register with ARMA, as this registration grants ARMA the authority to conduct audits on these facilities.