January 20, 2021
The Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste (MHSW) Program for single-use batteries wound up on June 30, 2020. As of July 1, 2020, new requirements for producers of single-use and rechargeable batteries came into effect under Ontario’s new Batteries Regulation.
The Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) is the regulator responsible for enforcing the requirements of the Batteries Regulation and asked that we share the below information with stewards that were previously part of Stewardship Ontario’s single-use battery program.
RPRA’s role as part of the new regulation
RPRA is responsible for overseeing compliance with the regulation and has a range of enforcement tools that include compliance orders, administrative monetary penalties, and prosecutions.
Battery producers required to register with RPRA by January 31, 2021
Battery stewards that were part of Stewardship Ontario’s MHSW Program may be producers under the Batteries Regulation. Producers and service providers are required to register with RPRA and meet the mandatory performance and reporting requirements under the regulation.
RPRA is not replacing Stewardship Ontario
As a regulator, RPRA does not provide collection and management services. Instead, producers can choose the service provider (e.g., processor or producer responsibility organization) they want to work with to meet their obligations under the Batteries Regulation. There are currently three producer responsibility organizations registered with RPRA that offer battery collection and management services. Their contact information can be found here.
Even if a producer has contracted with a service provider for collection and management services on their behalf, they are still required under the Batteries Regulation to register with RPRA.
Have questions about your requirements under the Batteries Regulation?
Visit RPRA’s website for detailed information about the regulation, specific regulatory requirements and how to register, or contact RPRA’s Compliance and Registry Team at registry@rpra.ca or 1-833-600-0530.
Kind regards,
Stewardship Ontario
