Details on the amendments summarized by RPRA in September
Best-efforts provision for management requirements for all Blue Box material is extended until 2027
- For the 2026 and 2027 performance years, producers must make “best efforts” to meet their management requirements.
- Before the amendments, producers were required to manage a certain amount of Blue Box material and meet management requirements in 2026 onwards.
The management requirements for paper, glass, metal, rigid plastics and beverage containers are unchanged until 2032
- The management requirement for paper, glass, metal, rigid plastics and beverage containers is unchanged.
- Recovery percentages will increase in 2032 to:
- 85% for paper and glass
- 75% for metal
- 60% for rigid plastics
- 80% for beverage containers
Expansion of collection in public spaces has been removed
- Producers must maintain the collection of the existing public space bins in communities that were serviced under the legacy program.
- Before the amendments, producers were required to expand public space bins based on population size starting in 2026.
Energy from waste can count as a recovered resource
- Starting in 2026, up to 15% of a producer’s management requirement can be met through energy-from-waste (EfW) processes for each material category.
- This means that a producer can count the residue used as fuel or fuel supplement in an EfW recovery process as a recovered resource in limited circumstances for each material category.
- Before the amendments, producers could not meet their management requirement through EfW processes.
- Producers can rely on this provision for the 2026 performance year.
Removal of ‘away from home’ collection of beverage containers
- Starting in 2026, producers are responsible only for the beverage containers supplied to residential consumers.
- This means that beverage container producers may deduct what’s collected from a business or institution where producers are not required to provide Blue Box collection services.
- Additional guidance will be provided to producers ahead of the 2026 reporting period.