Voluntary Stewardship
A voluntary producer is a Canadian brand holder/owner who supplies packaging and paper products into a regulated jurisdictions where voluntary producers are permitted. A brand holder/owner may be exempt, however, they may wish to assume the responsibility for the reporting and payment of fees on their brand supplied in the province, which otherwise may have been the obligation of the first importer.
A producer must be a Canadian-resident brand owner to volunteer. Voluntary stewardship is available for the brand holders/owners who are not resident in the provinces of Manitoba (MMSM) and British Columbia (Recycle BC), under their respective recycling programs. For Circular Materials in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta and The Yukon, and SK Recycles, exempt producers may choose to become voluntary producers for their brand supplied into the applicable province.
The information below details the eligibility criteria and process for application for voluntary stewardship in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. If you have questions with respect to voluntary stewardship, please contact our Customer Relations producer onboarding team at 1-877-667-2626.
An exempt brand holder may volunteer to be the obligated producer for the packaging and paper it supplies into Nova Scotia.
A brand holder/owner resident in Canada that generates less than $2 million dollars in gross annual revenue in New Brunswick or manufactures, distributes, sells or offers for sale less than one tonne of packaging and paper annually in New Brunswick is exempt.
An exempt brand holder may volunteer to be the obligated producer for the packaging and paper it supplies into New Brunswick.
Exemptions from producer obligation
Consistent with section 50.52(1) of Part 5.3 of the Regulation, a company is not obligated in the following circumstances:
- the producer generates less than $2 million dollars in gross annual revenue in New Brunswick;
- the producer manufactures, distributes, sells or offers for sale less than one tonne of packaging and paper annually in New Brunswick; or
- the producer is a charitable organization registered under the Income Tax Act (Canada).
If any of the conditions in points a, b, or c above apply to a business, it does not have an obligation under the Regulation and no further action is necessary, unless it has chosen to become a Voluntary Producer.
An exempt brand holder may volunteer to be the obligated producer for the packaging and paper it supplies into Ontario.
An organization can become a voluntary steward in Manitoba if it is:
- Not resident in the province where it is applying for voluntary steward status (Manitoba)
- Resident in Canada
- A supplier of the equivalent or more than the de minimis tonnage threshold (one tonne in Manitoba)
- Willing to execute a Voluntary Steward Agreement in Manitoba
- Agrees to provide a list of all its brand names as a schedule to the Voluntary Steward Agreement in Manitoba
- Agrees to provide a list of names of all its first importer customers in each applicable province for which it is assuming responsibility as a schedule to the Voluntary Steward Agreement in Manitoba (voluntary stewards are not allowed to volunteer for some customers and not others)
- Able to satisfy all of the above by the published voluntary steward registration deadline in order to become a voluntary steward for that reporting year. (Thereafter, membership will be rolled over annually unless the steward completes the exit procedure.)
For further information on the Voluntary Steward Policy and Voluntary Steward Agreements, please see the Voluntary Steward Policy.
I would like to sign up as a voluntary steward in Manitoba; how do I join a stewardship organization?
You will need to sign a Voluntary Steward Agreement (VSA).
Manitoba stewards that wish to register as voluntary stewards and start reporting are asked to submit a completed VSA by December 1 of the current year in order to be eligible to report in the subsequent reporting cycle. For example, new voluntary stewards who want to report in the 2025 reporting cycle are asked to submit their VSA to Circular Materials by December 1, 2024.
Manitoba stewards seeking to terminate their VSA are required to provide 12 months’ written notice and must notify Circular Materials by December 1 of the calendar year.
Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba Voluntary Steward Agreement
An organization can become a voluntary producer in Saskatchewan if it is:
- Resident in Canada
- Willing to execute a Voluntary Steward Agreement in Saskatchewan
- Willing to sign a Membership Agreement in Saskatchewan
- Agrees to provide a list of all its brand names as a schedule to the Voluntary Steward Agreement in Saskatchewan
- Agrees to provide a list of names of all its first importer customers in each applicable province for which it is assuming responsibility as a schedule to the Voluntary Steward Agreement in Saskatchewan (voluntary producers are not allowed to volunteer for some customers and not others)
- Able to satisfy all of the above and complete and return Membership Agreement for SK Recycles by the published voluntary producer registration deadline in order to become a voluntary producer for that reporting year. (Thereafter, membership will be rolled over annually unless the producer completes the exit procedure.)
For further information on the Voluntary Steward Policy and Voluntary Steward Agreements, please see the Voluntary Steward Policy.
I would like to sign up as a voluntary producer in Saskatchewan; how do I join a stewardship organization?
You will need to sign a Voluntary Steward Agreement (VSA) and a Membership Agreement for SK Recycles.
Saskatchewan producers that wish to register as voluntary producers and start reporting are asked to submit a completed VSA by December 1 of the current year in order to be eligible to report in the subsequent reporting cycle. For example, new voluntary stewards who want to report in the 2025 reporting cycle are asked to submit their VSA to Circular Materials by December 1, 2024.
Saskatchewan producers seeking to terminate their VSA are required to provide 12 months’ written notice and must notify Circular Materials by December 1 of the calendar year.
Multi-Material Stewardship Western Voluntary Steward Agreement
An exempt brand holder may volunteer to be the obligated producer for the packaging and paper it supplies into Alberta.
An organization can become a voluntary producer in British Columbia if it is:
- Not resident in the province where it is applying for voluntary producer status (British Columbia)
- Resident in Canada
- A supplier of the equivalent or more than the de minimis tonnage threshold (one tonne in British Columbia)
- Willing to execute a Voluntary Steward Agreement in British Columbia
- Willing to sign a Membership Agreement in British Columbia
- Agrees to provide a list of all its brand names as a schedule to the Voluntary Steward Agreement in British Columbia
- Agrees to provide a list of names of all its first importer customers in British Columbia for which it is assuming responsibility as a schedule to the Voluntary Steward Agreement (voluntary producers are not allowed to volunteer for some customers and not others)
- Able to satisfy all of the above and complete and return Membership Agreement for Recycle BC by the published voluntary producer registration deadline in order to become a voluntary producer for that reporting year. (Thereafter, membership will be rolled over annually unless the producer completes the exit procedure.)
For further information on the Voluntary Steward Policy and Voluntary Steward Agreements, please see the Voluntary Steward Policy.
I would like to sign up as a voluntary producer in British Columbia; how do I join a stewardship organization?
You will need to sign a Voluntary Steward Agreement (VSA) and a Membership Agreement for Recycle BC.
British Columbia producers that wish to register as voluntary producers and start reporting are asked to submit a completed VSA for each respective program by December 1 of the current year in order to be eligible to report in the subsequent reporting cycle. For example, new voluntary stewards who want to report in the 2025 reporting cycle are asked to submit their VSA to Circular Materials by December 1, 2024.
British Columbia producers seeking to terminate their VSA are required to provide 12 months’ written notice and must notify Circular Materials by December 1 of the calendar year.
An exempt brand holder may volunteer to be the obligated producer for the packaging and paper it supplies into The Yukon.