Extended Producer Responsibility
Miller Waste is ready to collaborate with producers and PROs to meet the obligations of the new EPR regulation.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) refers to the Canadian legislation that transfers full responsibility for managing printed paper and packaging material to producers and first distributors of the material.
Traditionally, costs related to the collection, treatment, and disposal of post-consumer products have been split between producers and municipalities and First Nations communities.
The EPR regime promotes waste reduction, re-use, and recycling activities while lessening the burden on municipalities and taxpayers to fulfill the manual and financial requirements of waste management. Since municipalities have a limited ability to impact the generation of waste, EPR transfers waste management costs onto producers, who can minimize waste by re-designing their product and packaging.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the definition of a producer?
If you meet one of the following conditions, you are considered a producer under the EPR regime:
- You are brand holder of the designated material and are resident in Canada
- You import the designated material and there is no brand holder resident in Canada
- You supply the designated material as a retailer and no importer or brand holder has been identified
What materials are covered by the EPR?
EPR applies to:
- primary packaging
- transport packaging
- convenience packaging service accessories
- ancillary elements
- Paper products
- Packaging-like products
When will Producers assume full responsibility for the designated material?
Since EPR regulations differ between Canadian provinces, we recommend consulting the official website of your province for more details. Most transition periods in the country are expected to conclude by January 1, 2026.
How should Producers manage the transition?
Organizations that have been designated as producers must privately arrange the collection of the designated material or can join other producers in producer responsibility organizations (PROs).
PROs are responsible for meeting the recovery and recycling obligations of individual producers. They function as the liaison between producers, collectors, recyclers, and other applicable provincial regulators. PROs ensure producers comply with legislative requirements, co-ordinate the collection, transportation, and management of post-consumer products in their district and prepare and submit reports on behalf of their members.
How can Miller help producers and PROs meet their EPR obligations?
Miller Waste has been a pillar in the Canadian waste diversion industry since 1961 and can assist producers and PROs with the collection, haulage, processing, and marketing of designated material to meet the requirements of the EPR framework.
Miller has a fleet of more than 1000 collection vehicles and currently owns and operates size Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), four on behalf of municipalities.
We were also involved in the design and construction of the largest and most technologically advanced MRFs in the country (Toronto, London, and York Region) and have completed capital upgrades to several others to maximize the quality and quantity of recycled material they produce.
In total, Miller process more than 380,000 tonnes of post-consumer waste annually in facilities we have built or retrofitted.
Miller also manages the sale of high‐quality products and material generated from these facilities through a dedicated marketing department and long-standing relationships with a reputable network of end markets in Canada and the US.
Miller’s expertise in responsible resource recovery makes us the ideal partner to help producers and PROs meet their obligations under the province’s new EPR framework. Contact us today to get started.
How does the EPR framework impact organizations in the commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors?
As of 2024, the EPR framework only impacts the end-of-life management of recyclable material produced by residents. As such, there will be no change to how schools, hospitals, government buildings, retail establishments, and other private and public industries and institutions manage their printed paper and packaging material.