British Columbia EPR do I have to register

Check your own case

Choose your role, add your revenue and the packaging you supply, and the checker applies the rules this page describes to your figures. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

The Instica free plan covers the threshold check, exemption tracking, the deadline calendar, packaging templates and fee sources, so you can start without paying. See what the free plan includes

How the checker reaches a result

The checker asks the same questions in the same order for every place, and it stops with a result as soon as a question settles the matter. It never fills a missing answer in for you.

1. Whose brand is on the packaging? If it is another company's brand, you are not the producer for those goods under the roles recorded for British Columbia. If you have not said, the checker asks first.
2. Do you sell into British Columbia? A place where you report no sales returns not obligated.
3. Does a size limit apply? The checker compares your revenue or packaging weight with each limit on record and, where a limit is not met, returns below threshold.
4. Is an exemption on record for your case? An exemption that is not yet verified is never assumed, and the checker asks for more data instead.
5. Are related companies counted together? Where the rules add up affiliated companies, their figures are combined before the limits are compared.

Who is the producer in British Columbia?

The first question is whose duty it is. British Columbia assigns the duty by packaging level, and the table shows which roles count as the producer at each level.

• British Columbia: for other packaging the producer is the manufacturer or brand owner, licensee, or importer.
• British Columbia: for primary (sales) packaging the producer is the manufacturer or brand owner, licensee, or importer.
• British Columbia: for secondary packaging the producer is the manufacturer or brand owner, licensee, or importer.
• British Columbia: for service packaging the producer is the manufacturer or brand owner, licensee, or importer.
• British Columbia: for shipping packaging the producer is the manufacturer or brand owner, licensee, or importer.
• British Columbia: for tertiary (transport) packaging the producer is the manufacturer or brand owner, licensee, or importer.

Find the row that describes you. Where more than one role appears in a row, the checker asks whose brand is on the product before it gives a result.

Does revenue matter in British Columbia?

Where a revenue limit applies, British Columbia counts revenue earned in the jurisdiction. The revenue figure is taken over the most recent calendar year. Limits are stated in CAD; a figure in another currency is converted with a published rate before it is compared.

Affiliated companies are counted together, so the revenue and tonnage of related companies add up before the limits are applied. The rules define an affiliate as follows: Franchisor and franchisees are aggregated as one producer.

Size limits in British Columbia

Some rules switch the duty on or off by size. These are the limits on record for British Columbia, each with what happens when you meet it.

The revenue limit: CA$1,000,000

British Columbia: the revenue limit is CA$1,000,000. British Columbia: at the revenue limit of CA$1,000,000, the producer is exempt below it. British Columbia: the revenue rule reads, in plain words: Small producer if gross revenue in BC is under CAD 1,000,000. British Columbia: the revenue limit is counted as follows: gross revenue in BC, most recent calendar year.

The tonnage limit: 1 tonne

British Columbia: the tonnage limit is 1 tonne. British Columbia: at the tonnage limit of 1 tonne, the producer is exempt below it. British Columbia: the tonnage rule reads, in plain words: Or under one tonne of packaging and paper. British Columbia: the tonnage limit is counted as follows: packaging and paper produced in the most recent calendar year.

The packaging weight limit: 15,000 kg

British Columbia: the packaging weight limit is 15,000 kg. British Columbia: at the packaging weight limit of 15,000 kg, a flat-fee band applies. British Columbia: the packaging weight rule reads, in plain words: Stewards supplying 1,000 to 15,000 kg a year may file a simplified report and pay a flat fee. British Columbia: the packaging weight limit is counted as follows: packaging and paper supplied to BC residents in a year (flat-fee bands 1,000-2,499; 2,500-4,999; 5,000-9,999; 10,000-15,000 kg).

Exemptions in British Columbia

An exemption removes the duty for a producer that meets its conditions. Some must be applied for; others apply on their own.

Exemption 1

Exemption 1: Businesses with less than $1 million in annual revenues in BC, or that supply less than 1,000 kg (one tonne) of packaging and paper product to BC residents. British Columbia: exemption 1 applies without an application.

Exemption 2

Exemption 2: Businesses that operate as a single point of retail sale and are not supplied or operated as part of a franchise, a chain or under a banner. British Columbia: exemption 2 applies without an application.

Exemption 3

Exemption 3: Businesses that are a registered charity. British Columbia: exemption 3 applies without an application.

Exemption 4

Exemption 4: Recycle BC FAQ states non-resident direct shippers are not obligated (they may elect to become voluntary producers). British Columbia: exemption 4 applies without an application.

What the rules cover in British Columbia

A duty applies only to the packaging and the sales channels that the rules cover. This is what is on record for British Columbia.

British Columbia: the rules cover these sales channels: retail, online sales, and distance sales. British Columbia: a producer may pass the duty to another party under the rules.

Every case, worked through

Below, the same engine that powers the checker is run on a set of standard cases for British Columbia. Each case states the input, the result and the next step. The figures are test inputs set at half, equal to and twice each recorded limit, read as of November 4, 2026; they are not rules.

Revenue of CA$500,000: below the limit

Your own brand is on the goods and your revenue is CA$500,000, half the limit of CA$1,000,000. The figure is under the CA$1,000,000 limit, so the engine returns below threshold: the exemption on record applies. Result: below threshold. Next: keep the figures that put you below the limit, and check again as you grow.

Revenue of CA$1,000,000: exactly at the limit

Your own brand is on the goods and your revenue is CA$1,000,000, exactly the limit of CA$1,000,000. The rules for British Columbia set a limit that needs a figure this case does not supply, such as a different measure or unit, so the engine asks for more data. Result: more data needed. Next: supply the missing answer in the checker to get a result.

Revenue of CA$2,000,000: above the limit

Your own brand is on the goods and your revenue is CA$2,000,000, twice the limit of CA$1,000,000. The rules for British Columbia set a limit that needs a figure this case does not supply, such as a different measure or unit, so the engine asks for more data. Result: more data needed. Next: supply the missing answer in the checker to get a result.

Packaging of 0.5 tonnes: below the limit

Your own brand is on the goods and you supply 0.5 tonnes of packaging, half the limit of 1 tonne. The figure is under the 1 tonne limit, so the engine returns below threshold: the exemption on record applies. Result: below threshold. Next: keep the figures that put you below the limit, and check again as you grow.

Packaging of 2 tonnes: above the limit

Your own brand is on the goods and you supply 2 tonnes of packaging, twice the limit of 1 tonne. The rules for British Columbia set a limit that needs a figure this case does not supply, such as a different measure or unit, so the engine asks for more data. Result: more data needed. Next: supply the missing answer in the checker to get a result.

Packaging of 7,500 kg: below the limit

Your own brand is on the goods and you supply 7,500 kg of packaging, half the limit of 15,000 kg. The rules for British Columbia set a limit that needs a figure this case does not supply, such as a different measure or unit, so the engine asks for more data. Result: more data needed. Next: supply the missing answer in the checker to get a result.

Packaging of 30,000 kg: above the limit

Your own brand is on the goods and you supply 30,000 kg of packaging, twice the limit of 15,000 kg. The rules for British Columbia set a limit that needs a figure this case does not supply, such as a different measure or unit, so the engine asks for more data. Result: more data needed. Next: supply the missing answer in the checker to get a result.

Above every limit

Your own brand is on the goods and every figure is above every limit on record. The limit is met, so the engine returns obligated. Result: obligated. Next: register, report and pay as the sections below describe, and prepare your figures in a workspace.

If you owe: what happens next

If the result is obligated, these are the steps on record for British Columbia. You register, report and pay yourself; Instica prepares the figures and the files.

British Columbia: registration is made with Recycle BC membership, registered through the WeRecycle Portal. British Columbia: registration is made by this party: The obligated producer or its agent.

British Columbia: producers meet the duty through a single producer responsibility organisation. British Columbia: the organisations on record are Recycle BC. British Columbia: membership of an organisation is required. British Columbia: an authorised representative is not required.

Flat fees on record

• British Columbia: for packaging of 1,000 to 2,499 kg, the 2025 flat fee is CA$1,300.00.
• British Columbia: for packaging of 2,500 to 4,999 kg, the 2025 flat fee is CA$3,000.00.
• British Columbia: for packaging of 5,000 to 9,999 kg, the 2025 flat fee is CA$7,000.00.
• British Columbia: for packaging of 10,000 to 15,000 kg, the 2025 flat fee is CA$11,800.00.
• British Columbia: for packaging of 1,000 to 2,499 kg, the 2026 flat fee is CA$1,500.00.
• British Columbia: for packaging of 2,500 to 4,999 kg, the 2026 flat fee is CA$3,500.00.
• British Columbia: for packaging of 5,000 to 9,999 kg, the 2026 flat fee is CA$8,300.00.
• British Columbia: for packaging of 10,000 to 15,000 kg, the 2026 flat fee is CA$13,900.00.
• British Columbia: for packaging of 1,000 to 2,499 kg, the 2027 flat fee is CA$1,500.00.
• British Columbia: for packaging of 2,500 to 4,999 kg, the 2027 flat fee is CA$3,600.00.
• British Columbia: for packaging of 5,000 to 9,999 kg, the 2027 flat fee is CA$8,400.00.
• British Columbia: for packaging of 10,000 to 15,000 kg, the 2027 flat fee is CA$14,100.00.