Cause of Change Graphs for 2026 Fee Rates
In response to producer requests for details about annual changes to material fee rates, graphs have been developed to illustrate the factors driving changes from 2025 to 2026.
Each designated packaging and paper product material is associated with a fee rate. For each obligation year, fee rates are carefully calculated to using the Four-Step Fee Methodology to ensure fairness and to cover the costs associated with collection, transportation and processing of each material. An obligation year is a calendar year for which stewards are or were required to register, file a Producer Report and pay applicable fees. The first reporting year for this program was 2013 and the first payment (invoice) year was 2014.
Producers are required to file their reports by May 31 each year, and fees are paid quarterly as follows:
Quarterly Payment Schedule:
- January 31
- April 30
- July 31
- October 31
Recycle BC 2026 Fee Schedule (cents/kg)
| Category | Material | 2026 Fee Rates (cents/kg) | 2025 Fee Rates (cents/kg) | Variance |
| PRINTED PAPER | Newsprint | 76.00 | 69.00 | 10.1% |
| Magazines, Catalogues & Telephone Books | 29.00 | 28.00 | 3.6% | |
| Other Printed Paper | 80.00 | 72.00 | 11.1% | |
| PAPER PACKAGING | Corrugated Cardboard | 60.00 | 53.00 | 13.2% |
| Kraft Paper | 77.00 | 53.00 | 45.3% | |
| Boxboard | 37.00 | 31.00 | 19.4% | |
| Gable Top Cartons | 80.00 | 69.00 | 15.9% | |
| Paper Laminates | 77.00 | 62.00 | 24.2% | |
| Aseptic Containers | 91.00 | 83.00 | 9.6% | |
| PLASTICS | PET Bottles | 97.00 | 98.00 | -1.0% |
| PET Thermoforms | 134.00 | 98.00 | 36.7% | |
| HDPE Bottles | 47.00 | 40.00 | 17.5% | |
| Plastic Film | 184.00 | 146.00 | 26.0% | |
| Plastic Laminates | 184.00 | 146.00 | 26.0% | |
| Expanded Polystyrene | 407.00 | 310.00 | 31.3% | |
| Rigid Polystyrene | 151.00 | 125.00 | 20.8% | |
| Other Plastics | 101.00 | 86.00 | 17.4% | |
| STEEL | Other Steel Packaging including Paint Cans | 68.00 | 62.00 | 9.7% |
| Steel Aerosols | 48.00 | 42.00 | 14.3% | |
| ALUMINUM | Aluminum Food & Other Containers | 48.00 | 59.00 | -18.6% |
| Other Aluminum Packaging | 70.00 | 67.00 | 4.5% | |
| GLASS | Clear Glass | 58.00 | 48.00 | 20.8% |
| Coloured Glass | 58.00 | 48.00 | 20.8% |
Kraft Paper and PET thermoform have been disaggregated from Corrugated Cardboard and PET Bottles respectively.
Telephone Books and Steel Paint Cans have been rolled up in Magazines and Catalogues and Other Steel Packaging respectively.
Flat Fee Information
Eligible businesses can choose to file a simplified report and pay a flat fee based on the quantities of packaging and paper product (PPP) supplied annually to BC residents. This option enables producers to avoid detailed data gathering and weighing of their PPP. Current flat fee categories and rates are in the table below and a summary of past flat fee rates is available here. For more information, see Small Business, Low Volume & Flat Fee Stewards.
Low-Volume and Flat Fees
| Total Supplied (kg) | 2025 | 2024 | YoY Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 - 2499 | $1,300 | $1,200 | $100 or 8% |
| 2,500 - 5,000 | $3,000 | $2,800 | $200 or 7% |
| 5,000 - 10,000 | $7,000 | $6,600 | $400 or 6% |
| 10,000 - 15,000 | $11,800 | $11,200 | $600 or 5% |
2025 Program Budget
For information on Recycle BC’s 2024 recycling accessibility performance, 2025 financial performance and 2026 budget, please refer to the pre-read for the October 2025 Annual Producer Meeting.
2025 Annual Producer Meeting Materials
To access the materials from the 2023 Annual Producer Meeting, please click here.