Alberta vs California EPR: Rules Compared
Last verified
Alberta and California both run packaging EPR, but the rules differ. California exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, $1,000,000 against CA$1,500,000 in Alberta. Alberta publishes the higher per-kilogram fee in 5 of 5 shared material classes. Every figure below links to its primary source.
Alberta and California side by side
3 of 9 rows have a verified figure on each side of Alberta and California; a cell reads “not yet published” when a side has none, and an exemption row reads “none recorded; see thresholds” when no exemption is on record.
| Measure | Alberta | California | Stricter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration duty | not yet published | Required | Not comparable |
| Producer organisation | not yet published | one producer responsibility organisation | Not comparable |
| Lowest revenue exemption | CA$1,500,000 | $1,000,000 | California |
| Lowest weight exemption | none recorded; see thresholds | none recorded; see thresholds | Not comparable |
| First annual report date | June 30 | not yet published | Not comparable |
| Published penalties | not yet published | 1 published | Not comparable |
| Report file | csv | csv | Not comparable |
| Paper fee, cheapest matched rate | 48 cents per kilogram | 0.4 cents per pound | Alberta |
| Plastic fee, cheapest matched rate | 176 cents per kilogram | 2.5 cents per pound | Alberta |
The lowest revenue exemption is CA$1,500,000 in Alberta and $1,000,000 in California (CA$1,397,800 at the Bank of Canada 2025 annual average rate). California therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in Alberta but still in scope in California.
Across 5 shared material classes, Alberta publishes the higher cheapest per-kilogram fee in 5, and California in 0. A higher fee is not the same as a stricter rule; it is simply a larger published number per kilogram.
Who runs the programme in Alberta and California
Who collects and who the producer files with, in Alberta and then California.
| Aspect | Alberta | California |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | Extended Producer Responsibility Regulation, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (packaging, paper products) | California SB 54, Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (Public Resources Code, Division 30, Part 3, Chapter 3.1) |
| Regulator | Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA) | CalRecycle (Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery), through its PEPRS portal |
| Producers obligated | Yes | Yes |
| Registration | not yet published | Required, PEPRS (CalRecycle Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility System) |
| Producer organisation | not yet published | one producer responsibility organisation: Circular Action Alliance; membership required |
| Transfer of responsibility | not yet published | Not allowed |
| Revenue counted as | gross revenue inside the jurisdiction, CAD, year | gross revenue inside the jurisdiction, USD, calendar year |
| Who counts as the producer | primary: brand owner, importer, seller; secondary: brand owner, importer, seller; shipping: brand owner, importer, seller; tertiary: brand owner, importer, seller | other: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, first distributor; primary: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, first distributor; secondary: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, first distributor; service: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, first distributor; shipping: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, first distributor; tertiary: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, first distributor |
Where one side has not yet published how its producer organisations work, this page says so rather than assuming it matches the other side. A seller in both should check the open item before relying on the comparison.
What Alberta and California cover, side by side
Each row below is one published feature of the two programmes; a cell reads “not yet published” when Alberta or California has no verified entry for it in the dataset.
| Aspect | Alberta | California |
|---|---|---|
| Producer duty: primary packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; first_distributor |
| Producer duty: secondary packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; first_distributor |
| Producer duty: tertiary packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; first_distributor |
| Producer duty: shipping packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; first_distributor |
| Reporting categories | 33, material category | not yet published |
| Exemption 1 | Producers under CAD 1,500,000 Alberta revenue are exempt | Temporary, renewable exemption from most reporting and fee requirements for producers with gross annual California sales under $1 million. Long-term duty remains: all packaging recyclable or compostable by 2032. (application needed) |
| Materials covered | not yet published | single use packaging, plastic single use food service ware |
| Product classes covered | not yet published | primary packaging, secondary packaging, tertiary packaging, packaging components and ancillary elements |
| Excluded from scope | not yet published | medical products and drugs, animal medicines, infant formula, medical food, fifra products, dangerous goods plastic containers, hazcom hazardous or flammable products, beverage containers subject to crv, long term product protection 5 years, architectural paint program packaging, agricultural commodity packaged on site |
| Sales channels addressed | not yet published | retail, wholesale, remote offering, online |
| Producer duty: service packaging | not yet published | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; first_distributor |
| Producer duty: other packaging | not yet published | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; first_distributor |
| Published targets | not yet published | plastic_source_reduction 10 by 2027-01-01; plastic_source_reduction 20 by 2030-01-01; plastic_source_reduction 25 by 2032-01-01; plastic_recycling_rate 30 by 2028-01-01; plastic_recycling_rate 40 by 2030-01-01; plastic_recycling_rate 65 by 2032-01-01; recyclable_or_compostable_share 100 by 2032-01-01 |
| Exemption 2 | not yet published | A person who produces, harvests and packages an agricultural commodity on the site where it was grown or raised is not a producer. |
| Exemption 3 | not yet published | Beverage containers subject to the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act are not covered material. |
| Exemption 4 | not yet published | Covered material meeting a 65% (through 2026) or 70% (2027 on) recycling rate, outside curbside collection and commingled sorting, recycled at responsible end markets, is not covered material once CalRecycle approves the producer's demonstration. (application needed) |
Thresholds and exemptions in Alberta and California
Every verified threshold Alberta and California publish, as each states it.
| Place | Measure | Amount | Effect | Basis as published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | revenue | CA$1,500,000 | exempt below | Alberta revenue |
| Alberta | packaging tonnage | 9 tonnes | reduced duty | residential supply per year (9 t paper; 2 t rigid plastic; 2 t flexible plastic; 1 t glass; 1 t metal) |
| California | revenue | $1,000,000 | exempt below | gross annual sales in California, most recent calendar year |
Alberta exemption: Producers under CAD 1,500,000 Alberta revenue are exempt It does not have to be applied for.
California exemption: Temporary, renewable exemption from most reporting and fee requirements for producers with gross annual California sales under $1 million. Long-term duty remains: all packaging recyclable or compostable by 2032. It must be applied for.
California exemption: A person who produces, harvests and packages an agricultural commodity on the site where it was grown or raised is not a producer. It does not have to be applied for.
California exemption: Beverage containers subject to the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act are not covered material. It does not have to be applied for.
California exemption: Covered material meeting a 65% (through 2026) or 70% (2027 on) recycling rate, outside curbside collection and commingled sorting, recycled at responsible end markets, is not covered material once CalRecycle approves the producer's demonstration. It must be applied for.
Read the basis column first: the same amount can exempt a producer in one programme and only simplify its report in another.
The lowest revenue exemption is CA$1,500,000 in Alberta and $1,000,000 in California (CA$1,397,800 at the Bank of Canada 2025 annual average rate). California therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in Alberta but still in scope in California.
Fees per kilogram for shared materials
5 material classes have a published rate on both sides; each row shows the cheapest rate that fits the class.
| Material class | Alberta (CAD per kg) | California (USD per kg) | California in CAD, approx. | Higher fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 48 cents per kilogram | 0.4 cents per pound | CA$0.0123 | Alberta |
| plastic | 176 cents per kilogram | 2.5 cents per pound | CA$0.077 | Alberta |
| glass | 41 cents per kilogram | 0.3 cents per pound | CA$0.0092 | Alberta |
| aluminium | 98 cents per kilogram | 0.8 cents per pound | CA$0.0247 | Alberta |
| steel | 62 cents per kilogram | 0.8 cents per pound | CA$0.0247 | Alberta |
Scaling the cheapest published rate by weight shows what the gap between Alberta and California amounts to for a given tonnage of one material. The amounts are the rate times the weight, nothing added.
| Material class | Kilograms | Alberta fee (CAD) | California fee (USD) | California in CAD, approx. | California minus Alberta (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 1 | CA$0.48 | $0.01 | CA$0.01 | -CA$0.47 |
| paper and board | 10 | CA$4.80 | $0.09 | CA$0.12 | -CA$4.68 |
| paper and board | 100 | CA$48.00 | $0.88 | CA$1.23 | -CA$46.77 |
| paper and board | 1,000 | CA$480.00 | $8.82 | CA$12.33 | -CA$467.67 |
| paper and board | 10,000 | CA$4,800.00 | $88.18 | CA$123.26 | -CA$4,676.74 |
| paper and board | 100,000 | CA$48,000.00 | $881.85 | CA$1,232.65 | -CA$46,767.35 |
| plastic | 1 | CA$1.76 | $0.06 | CA$0.08 | -CA$1.68 |
| plastic | 10 | CA$17.60 | $0.55 | CA$0.77 | -CA$16.83 |
| plastic | 100 | CA$176.00 | $5.51 | CA$7.70 | -CA$168.30 |
| plastic | 1,000 | CA$1,760.00 | $55.12 | CA$77.04 | -CA$1,682.96 |
| plastic | 10,000 | CA$17,600.00 | $551.16 | CA$770.41 | -CA$16,829.59 |
| plastic | 100,000 | CA$176,000.00 | $5,511.56 | CA$7,704.05 | -CA$168,295.95 |
| glass | 1 | CA$0.41 | $0.01 | CA$0.01 | -CA$0.40 |
| glass | 10 | CA$4.10 | $0.07 | CA$0.09 | -CA$4.01 |
| glass | 100 | CA$41.00 | $0.66 | CA$0.92 | -CA$40.08 |
| glass | 1,000 | CA$410.00 | $6.61 | CA$9.24 | -CA$400.76 |
| glass | 10,000 | CA$4,100.00 | $66.14 | CA$92.45 | -CA$4,007.55 |
| glass | 100,000 | CA$41,000.00 | $661.39 | CA$924.49 | -CA$40,075.51 |
| aluminium | 1 | CA$0.98 | $0.02 | CA$0.02 | -CA$0.96 |
| aluminium | 10 | CA$9.80 | $0.18 | CA$0.25 | -CA$9.55 |
| aluminium | 100 | CA$98.00 | $1.76 | CA$2.47 | -CA$95.53 |
| aluminium | 1,000 | CA$980.00 | $17.64 | CA$24.65 | -CA$955.35 |
| aluminium | 10,000 | CA$9,800.00 | $176.37 | CA$246.53 | -CA$9,553.47 |
| aluminium | 100,000 | CA$98,000.00 | $1,763.70 | CA$2,465.30 | -CA$95,534.70 |
| steel | 1 | CA$0.62 | $0.02 | CA$0.02 | -CA$0.60 |
| steel | 10 | CA$6.20 | $0.18 | CA$0.25 | -CA$5.95 |
| steel | 100 | CA$62.00 | $1.76 | CA$2.47 | -CA$59.53 |
| steel | 1,000 | CA$620.00 | $17.64 | CA$24.65 | -CA$595.35 |
| steel | 10,000 | CA$6,200.00 | $176.37 | CA$246.53 | -CA$5,953.47 |
| steel | 100,000 | CA$62,000.00 | $1,763.70 | CA$2,465.30 | -CA$59,534.70 |
Converted from USD to CAD at the Bank of Canada annual average for 2025. A converted figure is approximate and moves with the year of the rate; the published amount is the one in the programme’s own currency.
California: the 2026 fee schedule of Circular Action Alliance (California PRO), early fee, effective January 1, 2026, is the source of the per-kilogram rates used on this page.
Alberta: the 2027 fee schedule of Circular Materials Alberta (ARMA PPP), effective January 1, 2027, is the source of the per-kilogram rates used on this page.
Alberta 2027: the category “Boxboard and Other Paper Packaging” is published at 48 cents per kilogram.
Alberta 2027: the category “LDPE/HDPE Film” is published at 176 cents per kilogram.
Alberta 2027: the category “Clear Glass” is published at 41 cents per kilogram.
Alberta 2027: the category “Aluminum Food Containers” is published at 98 cents per kilogram.
Alberta 2027: the category “Other Steel Containers and Packaging” is published at 62 cents per kilogram.
California 2026: the category “Paper/Fiber” is published at 0.4 cents per pound.
California 2026: the category “Plastic - Flexible” is published at 2.5 cents per pound.
California 2026: the category “Glass and Ceramics” is published at 0.3 cents per pound.
California 2026: the category “Metal” is published at 0.8 cents per pound.
Real packs usually land in a dearer category, so use the calculator for Alberta and California.
Deadlines in Alberta and California
Each verified date, with the period it covers when one is given.
| Place | Kind | Date | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | report | June 30 | preceding calendar year (January 1 to December 31) |
| Alberta | rate publication | March 8 | current calendar year's ARMA oversight fees (based on supply data from two years earlier) |
| Alberta | payment | April 8 | current calendar year's ARMA oversight fees |
| Alberta | other | October 1, 2026 | not yet published |
| California | registration | January 1, 2027 | not yet published |
| California | taxonomy update | January 1, 2027 | not yet published |
Penalties in Alberta and California
What each side has published; a side without an amount says so.
California penalty for failure to comply with the chapter or its regulations: up to $50,000 per day per violation.
Report formats in Alberta and California
How the report file for Alberta compares with the one for California.
| Aspect | Alberta | California |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Alberta PPP producer annual report Fee-year categories, reviewed 2026-09-29 | California SB 54 producer data by covered material category 2026-09-29 (built from PRC 42052(a)(1) and CalRecycle guidance of 4 August 2026) |
| Recipient | Alberta Recycling Management Authority | Circular Action Alliance (PRO) or CalRecycle through PEPRS for self-reporting producers |
| How it is submitted | ARMA producer portal | CAA producer portal, or CalRecycle PEPRS when the producer reports directly. The customer signs in and submits. |
| File type | csv | csv |
| Encoding | utf-8 | utf-8 |
| Delimiter | , | , |
| Decimal separator | . | |
| Columns | 4 | 5 |
| Required columns | 4 of 4 | 5 of 5 |
| Weight unit | kg | lb |
| Period basis | calendar year | calendar year |
The two layouts share a file type and a delimiter, but each programme names its own columns and categories, so one file cannot be sent to both programmes. Each report is built from the same underlying measurements and exported separately.
Which to plan for first, Alberta or California
Check the exemption thresholds before anything else. California reaches smaller sellers than Alberta, so a seller that is exempt in Alberta may still have to register in California.
Questions about comparing these two programmes
Is Alberta or California stricter on packaging EPR?
California exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, $1,000,000 against CA$1,500,000 in Alberta. Alberta publishes the higher per-kilogram fee in 5 of 5 shared material classes.
Do I register in both Alberta and California?
Alberta has not yet published its registration duty. California requires producers to register.
How do the fees per kilogram compare in Alberta and California?
Across 5 shared material classes, Alberta publishes the higher cheapest per-kilogram fee in 5, and California in 0. A higher fee is not the same as a stricter rule; it is simply a larger published number per kilogram.
Which deadline comes first, Alberta or California?
The dataset does not hold a verified annual report date on both sides, so this page does not say which comes first.
How these figures are made
Sources
- albertarecycling.ca retrieved
Original wording: PPP Producers shall submit an annual report to the Authority no later than June 30th each year.
- files.albertarecycling.ca: EPR Single‑Use Products Packaging and Paper Products Bylaws retrieved
Original wording: has an annual gross revenue in Alberta less than one million and five hundred thousand dollars $1,500,000.
Original wording: less than each of the amounts listed for the following materials: (a) 9 tonnes of paper per calendar year; (b) 2 tonnes of rigid plastic
Original wording: PPP Producers shall submit an annual report to the Authority no later than June 30th each year.
Original wording: A PPP Producer must provide, by October 1, 2026, to single-family dwellings in Registered Communities that were not receiving recycling service
- kings-printer.alberta.ca: 2022 194 retrieved
Original wording: the producer is (a) the brand holder of the designated material, if the brand holder is resident in Canada,
- albertarecycling.ca: EPR Oversight Fee Guide retrieved
Original wording: By March 8 Notice of Final Oversight Fees posted (minimum of 30 days prior to invoicing) April 8 Invoicing of Oversight Fees
- circularmaterials.ca: Circular Materials Report to Producers 2025 retrieved
Original wording: Newspapers 83 84 -1.2%
- calrecycle.ca.gov: packaging epr retrieved
Original wording: SB 54 establishes a new extended producer responsibility (EPR) program to manage packaging and single-use plastic food service ware products
Original wording: Circular Action Alliance has been approved to serve as the first Producer Responsibility Organization.
Original wording: This updated information will inform the next update to the Covered Material Categories List, which will be published by January 1, 2027.
- calrecycle.ca.gov: producerguidance retrieved
Original wording: PEPRS is CalRecycle’s online portal for: Producer Registration Data Submission Compliance Tracking
Original wording: Circular Action Alliance manages registration, reporting, and submissions of certain exemptions and exclusions on the producers’ behalf.
Original wording: 65% Single-Use Plastic Recycled
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov: codes displaySection.xhtml (faces) retrieved
Original wording: a producer shall not sell, offer for sale, import, or distribute covered materials in the state unless the producer is approved to participate
Original wording: upon approval of a plan pursuant to Section 42063, or commencing January 1, 2027, whichever is sooner
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov: codes displaySection.xhtml (faces) retrieved
Original wording: The owner or operator of the online marketplace shall not be considered the retailer or wholesaler for such sales.
Original wording: the producer of the covered material is the person who sells, offers for sale, or distributes the product that uses the covered material
Original wording: “Producer” does not include a person who produces, harvests, and packages an agricultural commodity on the site where the agricultural commodity was grown or raised.
Original wording: the sale of covered materials shall be deemed to occur in the state if the covered materials are delivered to the purchaser in the state
- www2.calrecycle.ca.gov: 138910 retrieved
Original wording: Enter the amount of total gross annual sales (U.S. dollar) in California, as found on the most recent calendar year's tax returns.
- calrecycle.ca.gov: exemptionsexclusions retrieved
Original wording: Small producers with gross annual sales of less than $1 million may apply to be exempt from most of the law’s reporting and fee requirements.
Original wording: To apply, first register in CalRecycle’s reporting system, known as PEPRS, as a Packaging EPR producer. Then fill out the small producer exemption application.
Original wording: Achieve 65% recycling rates from 2024 to 2026, and 70% in 2027 and after
- www2.calrecycle.ca.gov: 131538 retrieved
Original wording: Beverage containers subject to the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act (Division 12.1 (commencing with Section 14500)).
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov: codes displaySection.xhtml (faces) retrieved
Original wording: an administrative civil penalty not to exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per day per violation
- Bank of Canada, FXAUSDCAD (annual average 2025) retrieved
- knowledge.werecycle.ca: Report to Producers 2026 OCT15 retrieved
Original wording: Circular Materials in Alberta Fee Schedule (Cents/Kg)
Original wording: Boxboard and Other Paper Packaging 48 40 20.0%
Original wording: LDPE/HDPE Film 176 198 -11.1%
Original wording: Clear Glass 41 45 -8.9%
Original wording: Aluminum Food Containers 98 77 27 .3%
Original wording: Other Steel Containers and Packaging 62 69 -10.1%
- circularactionalliance.org: CA 2026 Early Fee Schedule retrieved
Original wording: 2026 California Early Fee Schedule Fees for Program Year 2026
Original wording: Paper/Fiber $0.004 /lb
Original wording: Plastic - Flexible $0.025 /lb
Original wording: Glass and Ceramics $0.003 /lb
Original wording: Metal $0.008 /lb
The free plan is enough to start. We estimate and prepare; you sign and submit.