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Bags packaging EPR Québec: what a paper bag costs per 1,000 packs, 2027

Last verified

In Québec, 1,000 paper bags of the Medium (grocery bag) size (50 g) carry an estimated packaging fee of CA$40.34 on the 2027 schedule. The range comes from the published rates of Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ) that fit each part of the pack. Instica estimates it; you confirm the weights, then sign and submit.

Diagram of a paper bag with the EPR fee per 1,000 packs in Québecpaper bag: Bag (paper) 50 g; Fee by material option (per 1,000 packs · CAD): paper and board 40.34, plastic 94.11, glass 32.71, aluminium 23.81, steel 35.16paper bag · Weight by component (g)Bagpaper50 gFee by material option · per 1,000 packs · CADper 1,000 packs · CAD020406080100paper and board40.34plastic94.11glass32.71aluminium23.81steel35.16
Source: Québec 2027 fee schedule, retrieved 2026-10-22

What this page estimates for a paper bag in Québec

The paper bag on this page is a kraft or white paper bag that carries a product out of a shop or holds it inside a parcel. It has one component, each matched to the published rates of the 2027 schedule of Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ) for Québec; weight times rate gives a fee per 1,000 packs in CAD. The figures are estimates built on starting weights.

What is in a paper bag

The bag is one paper component. Handles, window patches and inner coatings are not weighed separately in the starting estimate, so weigh a finished bag if yours has them.

Starting weights, an Instica estimate for a typical pack and not a measured weight: bag (paper, 50 g).

Bag
paper, 50 g (Instica starting estimate)

Worked example: 1,000 paper bags in Québec

One paper bag of the Medium (grocery bag) size weighs 50 g in total. For each component the table gives its weight, the matched published rates, and the fee for 1,000 packs.

Fee for 1,000 paper bags in Québec, in CAD
ComponentWeight eachMatched published rateFee per 1,000 packsFee per pack
Bag50 gBoxboard, other paper packaging and alternative fibresCA$40.34CA$0.0403

Québec: 1,000 paper bags of the Medium (grocery bag) size are estimated at CA$40.34 in packaging fees.

Added together, the estimate for 1,000 packs is CA$40.34.

Divide by 1,000 for a single pack: about CA$0.0403.

What the fee tool returns for 1,000 paper bags in Québec

Entered into the public fee tool for Québec (2027 schedule, effective January 1, 2027), 1,000 paper bags give the figures below. The tool is the same engine that prices a report, so this page and the tool agree.

Fee tool lines for 1,000 packs, Québec, in CAD
ComponentCategory at the lowest rateWeightFeeCategory at the highest rateFee
BagBoxboard, other paper packaging and alternative fibres50 gCA$40.34Boxboard, other paper packaging and alternative fibresCA$40.34

Québec: the fee tool returns CA$40.34 for 1,000 paper bags of the Medium (grocery bag) size (50 g each).

The tool total is CA$40.34.

Fee tool totals for 1,000 packs by size, Québec, in CAD
SizeWeight eachTotal, lowest ratesTotal, highest ratesPer pack, lowestPer pack, highest
Small (lunch bag)20 gCA$16.14CA$16.14CA$0.0161CA$0.0161
Medium (grocery bag)50 gCA$40.34CA$40.34CA$0.0403CA$0.0403
Large (shopping bag with handles)110 gCA$88.75CA$88.75CA$0.0888CA$0.0888

Which published rates were matched in Québec

One published rate was matched to the pack in Québec from the 2027 schedule. Each is quoted from the programme’s own fee table; the page does not change the rate or round it.

Bag, 50 g: one matched rate

Rates matched to the bag, Québec 2027
CategoryPublished ratePer kilogramFee per 1,000 packsFee per pack
Boxboard, other paper packaging and alternative fibres806.84 CAD/tonneCA$0.8068CA$40.34CA$0.0403

Québec 2027: the category “Boxboard, other paper packaging and alternative fibres” is published at 806.84 CAD/tonne.

How size changes the fee for a paper bag

The weight of a paper bag depends on its size. The table prices each of the 3 sizes with the same matched rates, so the only thing that changes between rows is the weight.

Fee for 1,000 paper bags by size in Québec, in CAD
SizeWeight eachFee per 1,000 packs, lowest ratesFee per 1,000 packs, highest ratesPer pack, lowestPer pack, highest
Small (lunch bag)20 gCA$16.14CA$16.14CA$0.0161CA$0.0161
Medium (grocery bag)50 gCA$40.34CA$40.34CA$0.0403CA$0.0403
Large (shopping bag with handles)110 gCA$88.75CA$88.75CA$0.0888CA$0.0888

Each component of the paper bag priced at every size, at the matched rates for Québec.

Fee per 1,000 packs by component and size, Québec, in CAD
ComponentSmall (lunch bag)Medium (grocery bag)Large (shopping bag with handles)
Bag20 g: CA$16.1450 g: CA$40.34110 g: CA$88.75

What if the paper bag used another material?

Suppose the main component of the paper bag, weighing 50 g, were made of another material. The table prices the same weight in each material class that Québec publishes a rate for, at the lowest published rate in that class.

Same weight, different material, Québec, in CAD per 1,000 packs
MaterialLowest published rateFee per 1,000 packs at that rateHighest published rateFee per 1,000 packs at that rate
paper and board806.84 CAD/tonneCA$40.34806.84 CAD/tonneCA$40.34
plastic1,882.29 CAD/tonneCA$94.113,453.34 CAD/tonneCA$172.67
glass654.24 CAD/tonneCA$32.71655.92 CAD/tonneCA$32.80
aluminium476.19 CAD/tonneCA$23.81476.19 CAD/tonneCA$23.81
steel703.17 CAD/tonneCA$35.16703.17 CAD/tonneCA$35.16
Every matched rate of the other materials at 50 g, Québec, in CAD
MaterialCategoryPublished rateFee per 1,000 packsFee per pack
plasticHDPE and LDPE films or shopping bags1,882.29 CAD/tonneCA$94.11CA$0.0941
plasticPolystyrenes, PVC, PLA and other degradable plastics and synthetic-fibre reusable bags3,453.34 CAD/tonneCA$172.67CA$0.1727
glassClear glass654.24 CAD/tonneCA$32.71CA$0.0327
glassColoured glass655.92 CAD/tonneCA$32.80CA$0.0328
aluminiumAluminum476.19 CAD/tonneCA$23.81CA$0.0238
steelSteel703.17 CAD/tonneCA$35.16CA$0.0352

A fee comparison only: another material changes weight and protection too.

What a larger run of paper bags costs in Québec

Fees scale with the number of packs, because the schedule charges by mass. The table repeats the worked example for larger runs of the Medium (grocery bag) paper bag in Québec. Nothing else changes between rows: the same weights and the same matched rates apply.

Fee by run size for the paper bag in Québec, in CAD
PacksTotal weightFee at the lowest ratesFee at the highest rates
1005 kgCA$4.03CA$4.03
50025 kgCA$20.17CA$20.17
1,00050 kgCA$40.34CA$40.34
5,000250 kgCA$201.71CA$201.71
10,000500 kgCA$403.42CA$403.42
50,0002,500 kgCA$2,017.10CA$2,017.10
100,0005,000 kgCA$4,034.20CA$4,034.20
500,00025,000 kgCA$20,171.00CA$20,171.00
1,000,00050,000 kgCA$40,342.00CA$40,342.00

Québec: a single paper bag is estimated at CA$0.0403 in packaging fees.

Québec: across all its components, a paper bag is priced at CA$0.8068 per kilogram of packaging.

Taken as a whole, the pack is priced at CA$0.8068 per kilogram of packaging, so a heavier pack costs more in proportion to its weight.

Flat fee bands, registration fees and minimum charges sit outside this per-kilogram table.

How the fee for paper bags has moved on Québec schedules

Québec has published 2 per-mass fee schedules that price this pack. The same Medium (grocery bag) paper bags are priced on each below, with the same weights and the same matching rules, so only the published rates differ.

Fee per 1,000 packs by schedule, Québec, in CAD
ScheduleEffective fromFee per 1,000 packs, lowest ratesFee per 1,000 packs, highest ratesPer packChange in the lowest fee
2026January 1, 2026CA$35.65CA$35.65CA$0.0356-
2027January 1, 2027CA$40.34CA$40.34CA$0.0403+13.2%

Québec: on the 2026 schedule, effective January 1, 2026, 1,000 paper bags of the Medium (grocery bag) size were priced at CA$35.65.

Québec: on the 2027 schedule, effective January 1, 2027, 1,000 paper bags of the Medium (grocery bag) size were priced at CA$40.34.

The same matched categories on each Québec schedule, per kilogram; a dash means the schedule does not publish that category.

Matched rates per kilogram by schedule, Québec, in CAD
Category2026 (2026-01)2027 (2027-01)
Boxboard, other paper packaging and alternative fibresCA$0.7129CA$0.8068

The fee schedule behind these figures for Québec

The rates come from the 2027 schedule of Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ) for Québec, effective January 1, 2027. The facts below record where it was published and what else the schedule charges.

Québec: the 2027 fee schedule of Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ), effective January 1, 2027, is the source of the per-kilogram rates used on this page.

Québec: the flat fee band “qc flat 1” (1 to 2.5 tonne) is CA$1,580.00.

Québec: the flat fee band “qc flat 2” (2.5 to 5 tonne) is CA$3,380.00.

Québec: the flat fee band “qc flat 3” (5 to 10 tonne) is CA$6,760.00.

Québec: the flat fee band “qc flat 4” (10 to 15 tonne) is CA$11,270.00.

The schedule also lists 4 flat fee bands for small producers. They can replace the per-kilogram fee and are not part of the estimate on this page.

Ways to lower the fee on a paper bag

Paper weight is the lever with the most effect: a lighter grammage lowers the mass that every fee schedule multiplies.

A plain, uncoated bag is usually read as ordinary paper, while a plastic lining or laminated window can move a bag into a different, often dearer, category.

Twisted paper handles weigh little, but cord or ribbon of another material can be reported on its own line by some programmes.

Sellers who ship in paper bags often buy them by the thousand, which makes the per-1,000 figure on this page the natural unit for comparing suppliers.

Questions sellers ask

How much is the EPR fee for a paper bag in Québec?

For 1,000 paper bags of the Medium (grocery bag) size, the estimated fee is CA$40.34 on the 2027 schedule, from the published rates that fit each component.

Is this the amount I will pay?

No. It is an estimate for the packaging alone. Registration fees, flat fee bands, eco-modulation and thresholds sit outside the per-kilogram figure. Instica prepares the data; you check, sign and submit it, and Instica never stores regulator login details.

Are plastic bags recyclable in Canada?

Québec: the 2027 fee schedule of Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ), effective January 1, 2027, is the source of the per-kilogram rates used on this page. Québec: 1,000 paper bags of the Medium (grocery bag) size are estimated at CA$40.34 in packaging fees.

What are EPR packaging fees?

Québec: 1,000 paper bags of the Medium (grocery bag) size are estimated at CA$40.34 in packaging fees. Québec 2027: the category “Boxboard, other paper packaging and alternative fibres” is published at 806.84 CAD/tonne. Québec 2027: the category “HDPE and LDPE films or shopping bags” is published at 1,882.29 CAD/tonne.

What are some things that are not recyclable?

Québec: 1,000 paper bags of the Medium (grocery bag) size are estimated at CA$40.34 in packaging fees. Québec: the flat fee band “qc flat 1” (1 to 2.5 tonne) is CA$1,580.00. Québec: the flat fee band “qc flat 2” (2.5 to 5 tonne) is CA$3,380.00.

What do I do with old plastic bags?

Québec: the flat fee band “qc flat 1” (1 to 2.5 tonne) is CA$1,580.00. Québec: the flat fee band “qc flat 2” (2.5 to 5 tonne) is CA$3,380.00. Québec: the flat fee band “qc flat 3” (5 to 10 tonne) is CA$6,760.00.

How these figures are made

Our reviewers.

Sources

  1. eeq.ca: fee schedule to help with your report retrieved
    Original wording: 2027 Producer financial participation (PFP)
    Original wording: Boxboard and other paper packaging Alternative fibers $806.84
    Original wording: HDPE and LDPE plastic films or shopping bags $1,882.29
    Original wording: Clear glass $654.24
    Original wording: Containers and packaging, including aerosol containers $476.19
    Original wording: Containers, including aerosol containers $703.17
    Original wording: Boxboard and other paper packaging Alternative fibers 712.91
    Original wording: Polystyrenes PVC PLA and other degradable plastics Synthetic fibre reusable bags $3,453.34
    Original wording: Coloured glass $655.92
  2. eeq.ca: grilles de taux utiles pour votre declaration retrieved
    Original wording: Plus de 1 t à 2,5 t 1 580 $
    Original wording: Plus de 2,5 t à 5 t 3 380 $
    Original wording: Plus de 5 t à 10 t 6 760 $
    Original wording: Plus de 10 t à 15 t 11 270 $
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