Recycle BC is a not-for-profit organization formed in 2011 in response to the BC Recycling Regulation (formally named Multi-Material BC or MMBC). The Regulation requires businesses and organizations that supply obligated packaging and paper product (PPP) to BC consumers to operate a recycling program or be a member of an approved plan for managing these materials after their disposal by consumers. Recycle BC represents its members’ interests and acts on behalf of them to meet their obligations under the Recycling Regulation. On behalf of its over 1,300 members, Recycle BC provides residential recycling services to BC residents by either providing services directly to residents or by working with local governments, First Nations, private companies, and other non-profit organizations. Recycle BC’s Stewardship Plan is an approved stewardship plan for organizations that supply PPP to BC consumers. Businesses that join Recycle BC report their materials and pay the required fees are in compliance with the BC Recycling Regulation.
The Recycling Regulation came into effect in October 2004 and transfers responsibility for the end-of-life management of packaging and paper product materials from the government and its taxpayers to the businesses that supply these materials. Schedule 5 of the Regulation, which came into effect in May 2011, requires that as of May 2014, every producer of packaging and paper product that supplies PPP into the BC residential marketplace operate or be a member of an approved plan concerning the end-of-life management of their products. By being a member of Recycle BC, obligated businesses are in compliance with the Recycling Regulation.
If your organization is located in British Columbia and is the brand owner or a first importer that supplies packaging and/or paper product materials to consumers then your business is obligated and required to join Recycle BC and participate in the stewardship program.
If you are a franchisor with franchisees in BC, you are obligated by the Recycling Regulation (regardless of your residency in BC) and need to report and pay fees on the materials supplied to consumers by your franchisees.
There are some exemptions from the Regulation and some opportunities for simplified reporting for some small businesses; please review the small business section of the Recycle BC site for more information.
To become a member of the Recycle BC program please visit the WeRecycle Portal and follow the steps to register as a new producer. If your company is already a producer with any of the other programs managed by Circular Materials and you have a producer number, then you can log onto the Portal and simply add the Recycle BC program to your producer account. You will also need to complete and upload a signed Recycle BC Membership Agreement and upload it into the Portal.
Producers can also access a Portal User Guide which provides assistance in registering and navigating the Portal. Once the registration process is completed and the Membership Agreement uploaded, producers can begin working on their reports which will be submitted through the same Portal. Our Customer Relations team are available to help you if you require any further help. You can contact them at 1-877-667-2626 or info@circularmaterials.ca.
A brand owner is an organization or company that is the registrant of a trademark. If the brand/trademark is unregistered, then the organization or company that owns the intellectual property rights to the brand/trademark is the “brand owner”. Please see the Producer Guide for more information on how to determine if your company is the brand owner for the materials you distribute to consumers in BC.
The BC government has implemented a small business policy in order to reduce the administrative burden of the Recycling Regulation on small businesses. All the information you need to determine if you are eligible for a small business exemption or if you are eligible for simplified reporting and flat fee payments can be found here.
As the only approved Stewardship Plan for packaging and paper product in British Columbia, Recycle BC is the only organization that businesses can join in order to fulfill the requirements of Schedule 5 of the BC Recycling Regulation.
Under the BC Recycling Regulation, companies that supply packaging and paper product to BC consumers are now responsible for covering the costs associated with providing residential recycling services to BC residents. In order to cover these costs, all Recycle BC members pay fees according to the materials they supply into the BC marketplace. The fees are carefully calculated to ensure fairness for all members and to cover the costs to manage each material type through the recycling system. The Recycle BC fee schedule is posted in the fourth quarter of each year.
The Recycling Regulation and the Guidebook for Stewards can help identify the designated materials that are part of this program. You are encouraged to read these documents to understand which materials you must report on. However, in general, it includes all types of packaging and paper product that are supplied to consumers that will be taken home and disposed of in the residential waste stream.
A voluntary producer is a business that does not reside in BC but supplies designated packaging and/or paper products to BC consumers and has elected to join Recycle BC and assume the stewardship responsibilities for its packaging and paper product materials. Please visit our Voluntary Steward page to learn more.
Businesses that have residency in BC and supply packaging and paper product to BC residents are required to be part of the Recycle BC program. Companies that do not have residency in BC but ship products directly to BC residents are not obligated under the BC Recycling Regulation.
If your business does not have residency in BC, then you are not required to participate in the Recycle BC program. To learn more about how residency is defined please see the Producer Guide. If you do not elect to become a voluntary producer or are not eligible to be a voluntary producer, the first importer (often your retail partner) is required to report and pay fees on the materials you supply to BC consumers.
Please see the Producer Guide for detailed information on how to prepare your producer report. In addition, Circular Materials is available to help and answer any questions you have. Contact us at 1-877-667-2626 or at info@circularmaterials.ca.
If the amount of packaging that you supply to BC residents is relatively low (i.e. between 1,000 kg and 5,000 kg), you have the option to report as a “low volume producer” and pay a fixed rate fee; this provides a simplified reporting process that relieves your organization of the administrative burden of submitting detailed material reports. There is also a flat rate fee for producers that report between 5,000 kg and 15,000 kg. More information regarding this can be found here.
The franchisor is responsible for reporting on behalf of its franchisees in BC, regardless of whether the franchisor is resident in BC. For further clarification on this, please refer to the BC Recycling Regulation and the BC MOECCS’s Small Producer Definition.