Alberta vs Nova Scotia EPR: Rules Compared
Last verified
Alberta and Nova Scotia both run packaging EPR, but the rules differ. Nova Scotia exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, CA$1,000,000 against CA$1,500,000 in Alberta. Nova Scotia asks for its first annual report earlier, on April 30 against June 30 in Alberta. Nova Scotia publishes the higher per-kilogram fee in 5 of 5 shared material classes.
Alberta and Nova Scotia side by side
4 of 9 rows have a verified figure on each side of Alberta and Nova Scotia; 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 | Nova Scotia | Stricter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration duty | not yet published | not yet published | Not comparable |
| Producer organisation | not yet published | one producer responsibility organisation | Not comparable |
| Lowest revenue exemption | CA$1,500,000 | CA$1,000,000 | Nova Scotia |
| Lowest weight exemption | none recorded; see thresholds | 1 tonne | Not comparable |
| First annual report date | June 30 | April 30 | Nova Scotia |
| 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 | 75 cents per kilogram | Nova Scotia |
| Plastic fee, cheapest matched rate | 176 cents per kilogram | 217 cents per kilogram | Nova Scotia |
The lowest revenue exemption is CA$1,500,000 in Alberta and CA$1,000,000 in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in Alberta but still in scope in Nova Scotia.
The earliest annual report date is June 30 in Alberta and April 30 in Nova Scotia, 61 days apart. Nova Scotia leaves less time to prepare, so its data has to be ready first.
Across 5 shared material classes, Nova Scotia 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 Nova Scotia
Who collects and who the producer files with, in Alberta and then Nova Scotia.
| Aspect | Alberta | Nova Scotia |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | Extended Producer Responsibility Regulation, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (packaging, paper products) | Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act, Part IX (packaging and paper EPR regulations) |
| Regulator | Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA) | Resource Recovery Fund Board (Divert NS), as Administrator |
| Producers obligated | Yes | Yes |
| Producer organisation | not yet published | one producer responsibility organisation: Circular Materials; membership optional |
| 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 | primary: brand owner, importer, seller; secondary: brand owner, importer, seller; tertiary: brand owner, importer, seller |
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 Nova Scotia cover, side by side
Each row below is one published feature of the two programmes; a cell reads “not yet published” when Alberta or Nova Scotia has no verified entry for it in the dataset.
| Aspect | Alberta | Nova Scotia |
|---|---|---|
| Producer duty: primary packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller | brand_owner; importer; seller |
| Producer duty: secondary packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller | brand_owner; importer; seller |
| Producer duty: tertiary packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller | brand_owner; importer; seller |
| Producer duty: shipping packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller | not yet published |
| Reporting categories | 33, material category | 33, material category |
| Exemption 1 | Producers under CAD 1,500,000 Alberta revenue are exempt | Small producers and societies (except educational) are exempt |
| 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 |
Thresholds and exemptions in Alberta and Nova Scotia
Every verified threshold Alberta and Nova Scotia 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) |
| Nova Scotia | revenue | CA$1,000,000 | exempt below | gross Nova Scotia revenue |
| Nova Scotia | packaging tonnage | 1 tonne | exempt below | designated material supplied in the Province |
Alberta exemption: Producers under CAD 1,500,000 Alberta revenue are exempt It does not have to be applied for.
Nova Scotia exemption: Small producers and societies (except educational) are exempt 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$1,000,000 in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in Alberta but still in scope in Nova Scotia.
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) | Nova Scotia (CAD per kg) | Higher fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 48 cents per kilogram | 75 cents per kilogram | Nova Scotia |
| plastic | 176 cents per kilogram | 217 cents per kilogram | Nova Scotia |
| glass | 41 cents per kilogram | 53 cents per kilogram | Nova Scotia |
| aluminium | 98 cents per kilogram | 100 cents per kilogram | Nova Scotia |
| steel | 62 cents per kilogram | 90 cents per kilogram | Nova Scotia |
Scaling the cheapest published rate by weight shows what the gap between Alberta and Nova Scotia 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) | Nova Scotia fee (CAD) | Nova Scotia minus Alberta (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 1 | CA$0.48 | CA$0.75 | +CA$0.27 |
| paper and board | 10 | CA$4.80 | CA$7.50 | +CA$2.70 |
| paper and board | 100 | CA$48.00 | CA$75.00 | +CA$27.00 |
| paper and board | 1,000 | CA$480.00 | CA$750.00 | +CA$270.00 |
| paper and board | 10,000 | CA$4,800.00 | CA$7,500.00 | +CA$2,700.00 |
| paper and board | 100,000 | CA$48,000.00 | CA$75,000.00 | +CA$27,000.00 |
| plastic | 1 | CA$1.76 | CA$2.17 | +CA$0.41 |
| plastic | 10 | CA$17.60 | CA$21.70 | +CA$4.10 |
| plastic | 100 | CA$176.00 | CA$217.00 | +CA$41.00 |
| plastic | 1,000 | CA$1,760.00 | CA$2,170.00 | +CA$410.00 |
| plastic | 10,000 | CA$17,600.00 | CA$21,700.00 | +CA$4,100.00 |
| plastic | 100,000 | CA$176,000.00 | CA$217,000.00 | +CA$41,000.00 |
| glass | 1 | CA$0.41 | CA$0.53 | +CA$0.12 |
| glass | 10 | CA$4.10 | CA$5.30 | +CA$1.20 |
| glass | 100 | CA$41.00 | CA$53.00 | +CA$12.00 |
| glass | 1,000 | CA$410.00 | CA$530.00 | +CA$120.00 |
| glass | 10,000 | CA$4,100.00 | CA$5,300.00 | +CA$1,200.00 |
| glass | 100,000 | CA$41,000.00 | CA$53,000.00 | +CA$12,000.00 |
| 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$0.90 | +CA$0.28 |
| steel | 10 | CA$6.20 | CA$9.00 | +CA$2.80 |
| steel | 100 | CA$62.00 | CA$90.00 | +CA$28.00 |
| steel | 1,000 | CA$620.00 | CA$900.00 | +CA$280.00 |
| steel | 10,000 | CA$6,200.00 | CA$9,000.00 | +CA$2,800.00 |
| steel | 100,000 | CA$62,000.00 | CA$90,000.00 | +CA$28,000.00 |
Both schedules are in CAD, so the figures compare directly.
Nova Scotia: the 2027 fee schedule of Circular Materials Nova Scotia, 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.
Nova Scotia 2027: the category “Boxboard and Other Paper Packaging” is published at 75 cents per kilogram.
Nova Scotia 2027: the category “LDPE/HDPE Film” is published at 217 cents per kilogram.
Nova Scotia 2027: the category “Clear Glass” is published at 53 cents per kilogram.
Nova Scotia 2027: the category “Aluminum Food Containers” is published at 100 cents per kilogram.
Nova Scotia 2027: the category “Other Steel Containers and Packaging” is published at 90 cents per kilogram.
Real packs usually land in a dearer category, so use the calculator for Alberta and Nova Scotia.
Deadlines in Alberta and Nova Scotia
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 |
| Nova Scotia | report | May 31 | calendar year before the year the report is due (s 29(4)) |
| Nova Scotia | report | April 30, 2030 | the 4 immediately preceding years |
| Nova Scotia | payment | October 1, 2026 | 2026 Divert NS EPR oversight fees |
| Nova Scotia | registration | January 1, 2024 | not yet published |
The earliest annual report date is June 30 in Alberta and April 30 in Nova Scotia, 61 days apart. Nova Scotia leaves less time to prepare, so its data has to be ready first.
Penalties in Alberta and Nova Scotia
What each side has published; a side without an amount says so.
Report formats in Alberta and Nova Scotia
How the report file for Alberta compares with the one for Nova Scotia.
| Aspect | Alberta | Nova Scotia |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Alberta PPP producer annual report Fee-year categories, reviewed 2026-09-29 | Nova Scotia producer annual report Fee-year categories, reviewed 2026-09-29 |
| Recipient | Alberta Recycling Management Authority | Resource Recovery Fund Board (Divert NS) / 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 Nova Scotia
Plan around the earlier report date first. Nova Scotia asks for its first annual report on April 30, before Alberta, so its data has to be ready first.
Check the exemption thresholds before anything else. Nova Scotia reaches smaller sellers than Alberta, so a seller that is exempt in Alberta may still have to register in Nova Scotia.
Questions about comparing these two programmes
Is Alberta or Nova Scotia stricter on packaging EPR?
Nova Scotia exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, CA$1,000,000 against CA$1,500,000 in Alberta. Nova Scotia asks for its first annual report earlier, on April 30 against June 30 in Alberta. Nova Scotia publishes the higher per-kilogram fee in 5 of 5 shared material classes.
Do I register in both Alberta and Nova Scotia?
Alberta has not yet published its registration duty. Nova Scotia has not yet published its registration duty.
How do the fees per kilogram compare in Alberta and Nova Scotia?
Across 5 shared material classes, Nova Scotia 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 Nova Scotia?
The earliest annual report date is June 30 in Alberta and April 30 in Nova Scotia, 61 days apart. Nova Scotia 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 82
- novascotia.ca: envpppextproducer retrieved
Original wording: For the purposes of these regulations, the implementation date is December 1, 2025.
Original wording: the Resource Recovery Fund Board established under Section 98 of the Act
Original wording: A producer may designate a producer responsibility organization to operate on its
Original wording: the producer for the purposes of
Original wording: “small producer” means
Original wording: the brand holder of the designated material, if the brand holder is a resident
Original wording: “small producer” means (i) a producer whose gross annual revenue in the Province is less than $1 000 000
Original wording: a producer who supplies less than 1 tonne of designated material in
Original wording: a small producer.
Original wording: On or before May 31 in each year beginning in 2027, a producer of designated material supplied to consumers in the Province must submit
Original wording: On or before April 30, 2030, and every 4th year afterward, a producer must have its practices and procedures respecting Part V
Original wording: but no later than January 1, 2024, every producer must register in the form and manner required by the Administrator.
- divertns.ca: epr oversight fees retrieved
Original wording: Producers will receive an email on October 1, 2026, advising that EPR Oversight Invoices are available in the EPR Portal.
- 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 Nova Scotia Fee Schedule (Cents/Kg)
Original wording: Boxboard and Other Paper Packaging 75 74 1.4%
Original wording: LDPE/HDPE Film 217 212 2.4%
Original wording: Clear Glass 53 51 3.9%
Original wording: Aluminum Food Containers 100 104 -3.8%
Original wording: Other Steel Containers and Packaging 90 91 -1.1%
The free plan is enough to start. We estimate and prepare; you sign and submit.