Alberta vs New Brunswick EPR: Rules Compared
Last verified
Alberta and New Brunswick both run packaging EPR, but the rules differ. Alberta exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, CA$1,500,000 against CA$2,000,000 in New Brunswick. New Brunswick asks for its first annual report earlier, on May 31 against June 30 in Alberta. New Brunswick publishes the higher per-kilogram fee in 5 of 5 shared material classes.
Alberta and New Brunswick side by side
4 of 9 rows have a verified figure on each side of Alberta and New Brunswick; 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 | New Brunswick | 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 | CA$2,000,000 | Alberta |
| Lowest weight exemption | none recorded; see thresholds | 1 tonne | Not comparable |
| First annual report date | June 30 | May 31 | New Brunswick |
| Published penalties | not yet published | not yet published | Not comparable |
| Report file | csv | csv | Not comparable |
| Paper fee, cheapest matched rate | 48 cents per kilogram | 68 cents per kilogram | New Brunswick |
| Plastic fee, cheapest matched rate | 176 cents per kilogram | 195 cents per kilogram | New Brunswick |
The lowest revenue exemption is CA$1,500,000 in Alberta and CA$2,000,000 in New Brunswick. Alberta therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in New Brunswick but still in scope in Alberta.
The earliest annual report date is June 30 in Alberta and May 31 in New Brunswick, 30 days apart. New Brunswick leaves less time to prepare, so its data has to be ready first.
Across 5 shared material classes, New Brunswick publishes the higher cheapest per-kilogram fee in 5, and Alberta 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 New Brunswick
Who collects and who the producer files with, in Alberta and then New Brunswick.
| Aspect | Alberta | New Brunswick |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | Extended Producer Responsibility Regulation, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (packaging, paper products) | Designated Materials Regulation, N.B. Reg. 2024-37 (Clean Environment Act) |
| Regulator | Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA) | Recycle New Brunswick (stewardship board) |
| Producers obligated | Yes | Yes |
| Registration | not yet published | Required, Recycle New Brunswick (stewardship board) |
| Producer organisation | not yet published | one producer responsibility organisation: Circular Materials; membership required |
| Transfer of responsibility | not yet published | Allowed |
| Revenue counted as | gross revenue inside the jurisdiction, CAD, year | gross revenue inside the jurisdiction, CAD, 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: brand owner, importer, seller, online marketplace; primary: brand owner, importer, seller, online marketplace; secondary: brand owner, importer, seller, online marketplace; service: brand owner, importer, seller, online marketplace; shipping: brand owner, importer, seller, online marketplace; tertiary: brand owner, importer, seller, online marketplace |
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 New Brunswick cover, side by side
Each row below is one published feature of the two programmes; a cell reads “not yet published” when Alberta or New Brunswick has no verified entry for it in the dataset.
| Aspect | Alberta | New Brunswick |
|---|---|---|
| Producer duty: primary packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller | brand_owner; importer; seller; marketplace |
| Producer duty: secondary packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller | brand_owner; importer; seller; marketplace |
| Producer duty: tertiary packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller | brand_owner; importer; seller; marketplace |
| Producer duty: shipping packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller | brand_owner; importer; seller; marketplace |
| Reporting categories | 33, material category | 36, material category |
| Exemption 1 | Producers under CAD 1,500,000 Alberta revenue are exempt | Under CAD 2,000,000 NB revenue, under one tonne, or a registered charity |
| Materials covered | not yet published | paper, plastic, metal, glass, printed paper, packaging |
| Product classes covered | not yet published | packaging, paper products |
| Excluded from scope | not yet published | small producers |
| Sales channels addressed | not yet published | retail, online, distance sale |
| Producer duty: service packaging | not yet published | brand_owner; importer; seller; marketplace |
| Producer duty: other packaging | not yet published | brand_owner; importer; seller; marketplace |
Thresholds and exemptions in Alberta and New Brunswick
Every verified threshold Alberta and New Brunswick 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) |
| New Brunswick | revenue | CA$2,000,000 | exempt below | gross annual New Brunswick revenue |
| New Brunswick | packaging tonnage | 1 tonne | exempt below | packaging and paper per year |
Alberta exemption: Producers under CAD 1,500,000 Alberta revenue are exempt It does not have to be applied for.
New Brunswick exemption: Under CAD 2,000,000 NB revenue, under one tonne, or a registered charity It does not have to 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 CA$2,000,000 in New Brunswick. Alberta therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in New Brunswick but still in scope in Alberta.
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) | New Brunswick (CAD per kg) | Higher fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 48 cents per kilogram | 68 cents per kilogram | New Brunswick |
| plastic | 176 cents per kilogram | 195 cents per kilogram | New Brunswick |
| glass | 41 cents per kilogram | 47 cents per kilogram | New Brunswick |
| aluminium | 98 cents per kilogram | 100 cents per kilogram | New Brunswick |
| steel | 62 cents per kilogram | 83 cents per kilogram | New Brunswick |
Scaling the cheapest published rate by weight shows what the gap between Alberta and New Brunswick 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) | New Brunswick fee (CAD) | New Brunswick minus Alberta (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 1 | CA$0.48 | CA$0.68 | +CA$0.20 |
| paper and board | 10 | CA$4.80 | CA$6.80 | +CA$2.00 |
| paper and board | 100 | CA$48.00 | CA$68.00 | +CA$20.00 |
| paper and board | 1,000 | CA$480.00 | CA$680.00 | +CA$200.00 |
| paper and board | 10,000 | CA$4,800.00 | CA$6,800.00 | +CA$2,000.00 |
| paper and board | 100,000 | CA$48,000.00 | CA$68,000.00 | +CA$20,000.00 |
| plastic | 1 | CA$1.76 | CA$1.95 | +CA$0.19 |
| plastic | 10 | CA$17.60 | CA$19.50 | +CA$1.90 |
| plastic | 100 | CA$176.00 | CA$195.00 | +CA$19.00 |
| plastic | 1,000 | CA$1,760.00 | CA$1,950.00 | +CA$190.00 |
| plastic | 10,000 | CA$17,600.00 | CA$19,500.00 | +CA$1,900.00 |
| plastic | 100,000 | CA$176,000.00 | CA$195,000.00 | +CA$19,000.00 |
| glass | 1 | CA$0.41 | CA$0.47 | +CA$0.06 |
| glass | 10 | CA$4.10 | CA$4.70 | +CA$0.60 |
| glass | 100 | CA$41.00 | CA$47.00 | +CA$6.00 |
| glass | 1,000 | CA$410.00 | CA$470.00 | +CA$60.00 |
| glass | 10,000 | CA$4,100.00 | CA$4,700.00 | +CA$600.00 |
| glass | 100,000 | CA$41,000.00 | CA$47,000.00 | +CA$6,000.00 |
| aluminium | 1 | CA$0.98 | CA$1.00 | +CA$0.02 |
| aluminium | 10 | CA$9.80 | CA$10.00 | +CA$0.20 |
| aluminium | 100 | CA$98.00 | CA$100.00 | +CA$2.00 |
| aluminium | 1,000 | CA$980.00 | CA$1,000.00 | +CA$20.00 |
| aluminium | 10,000 | CA$9,800.00 | CA$10,000.00 | +CA$200.00 |
| aluminium | 100,000 | CA$98,000.00 | CA$100,000.00 | +CA$2,000.00 |
| steel | 1 | CA$0.62 | CA$0.83 | +CA$0.21 |
| steel | 10 | CA$6.20 | CA$8.30 | +CA$2.10 |
| steel | 100 | CA$62.00 | CA$83.00 | +CA$21.00 |
| steel | 1,000 | CA$620.00 | CA$830.00 | +CA$210.00 |
| steel | 10,000 | CA$6,200.00 | CA$8,300.00 | +CA$2,100.00 |
| steel | 100,000 | CA$62,000.00 | CA$83,000.00 | +CA$21,000.00 |
Both schedules are in CAD, so the figures compare directly.
New Brunswick: the 2027 fee schedule of Circular Materials New Brunswick (Recycle NB), effective January 1, 2027, 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.
New Brunswick 2027: the category “Boxboard and Other Paper Packaging” is published at 68 cents per kilogram.
New Brunswick 2027: the category “LDPE/HDPE Film” is published at 195 cents per kilogram.
New Brunswick 2027: the category “Clear Glass” is published at 47 cents per kilogram.
New Brunswick 2027: the category “Aluminum Food Containers” is published at 100 cents per kilogram.
New Brunswick 2027: the category “Other Steel Containers and Packaging” is published at 83 cents per kilogram.
Real packs usually land in a dearer category, so use the calculator for Alberta and New Brunswick.
Deadlines in Alberta and New Brunswick
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 |
| New Brunswick | report | May 31 | the previous calendar year |
| New Brunswick | registration | June 30, 2025 | not yet published |
| New Brunswick | plan | June 30, 2025 | not yet published |
The earliest annual report date is June 30 in Alberta and May 31 in New Brunswick, 30 days apart. New Brunswick leaves less time to prepare, so its data has to be ready first.
Penalties in Alberta and New Brunswick
What each side has published; a side without an amount says so.
Report formats in Alberta and New Brunswick
How the report file for Alberta compares with the one for New Brunswick.
| Aspect | Alberta | New Brunswick |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Alberta PPP producer annual report Fee-year categories, reviewed 2026-09-29 | New Brunswick producer annual report Fee-year categories, reviewed 2026-09-29 |
| Recipient | Alberta Recycling Management Authority | Recycle NB / Circular Materials |
| How it is submitted | ARMA producer portal | WeRecycle Portal |
| File type | csv | csv |
| Encoding | utf-8 | utf-8 |
| Delimiter | , | , |
| Decimal separator | . | |
| Columns | 4 | 4 |
| Required columns | 4 of 4 | 4 of 4 |
| Weight unit | kg | kg |
| 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 New Brunswick
Plan around the earlier report date first. New Brunswick asks for its first annual report on May 31, before Alberta, so its data has to be ready first.
Check the exemption thresholds before anything else. Alberta reaches smaller sellers than New Brunswick, so a seller that is exempt in New Brunswick may still have to register in Alberta.
Questions about comparing these two programmes
Is Alberta or New Brunswick stricter on packaging EPR?
Alberta exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, CA$1,500,000 against CA$2,000,000 in New Brunswick. New Brunswick asks for its first annual report earlier, on May 31 against June 30 in Alberta. New Brunswick publishes the higher per-kilogram fee in 5 of 5 shared material classes.
Do I register in both Alberta and New Brunswick?
Alberta has not yet published its registration duty. New Brunswick requires producers to register.
How do the fees per kilogram compare in Alberta and New Brunswick?
Across 5 shared material classes, New Brunswick publishes the higher cheapest per-kilogram fee in 5, and Alberta 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 New Brunswick?
The earliest annual report date is June 30 in Alberta and May 31 in New Brunswick, 30 days apart. New Brunswick leaves less time to prepare, so its data has to be ready 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%
Original wording: Newspapers 74 80 -7.5%
- laws.gnb.ca: 2024 37 retrieved
Original wording: This Regulation may be cited as the Designated Materials Regulation – Clean Environment Act
Original wording: The stewardship board established by the Minister under section 22.1 of the Act, to be known as Recycle New Brunswick, is continued.
Original wording: the producer generates less than $2,000,000 in gross annual revenue in the Province;
Original wording: An application for registration shall be submitted on a form provided by the stewardship board
Original wording: On or before May 31 in each year, a producer shall submit an annual report to the stewardship board
Original wording: the brand holder of the designated material if the brand holder has a permanent establishment in Canada;
Original wording: the producer manufactures, distributes, sells or offers for sale less than one tonne of packaging and paper annually in the Province; or
Original wording: A producer who was not a brand owner shall submit an application for registration referred to in section 16 no later than June 30, 2025.
Original wording: a stewardship plan under this Regulation, including the performance measures and targets referred to in section 44 , no later than June 30, 2025.
- 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%
Original wording: Circular Materials in New Brunswick Fee Schedule (Cents/Kg)
Original wording: Boxboard and Other Paper Packaging 68 65 4.6%
Original wording: LDPE/HDPE Film 195 187 4.3%
Original wording: Clear Glass 47 46 2.2%
Original wording: Aluminum Food Containers 100 93 7.5 %
Original wording: Other Steel Containers and Packaging 83 82 1.2%
The free plan is enough to start. We estimate and prepare; you sign and submit.