Alberta vs Saskatchewan EPR: Rules Compared
Last verified
Alberta and Saskatchewan both run packaging EPR, but the rules differ. Saskatchewan exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, CA$1,000,000 against CA$1,500,000 in Alberta. Saskatchewan asks for its first annual report earlier, on May 31 against June 30 in Alberta. Alberta publishes the higher per-kilogram fee in 5 of 5 shared material classes.
Alberta and Saskatchewan side by side
4 of 9 rows have a verified figure on each side of Alberta and Saskatchewan; 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 | Saskatchewan | 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$1,000,000 | Saskatchewan |
| Lowest weight exemption | none recorded; see thresholds | 1 tonne | Not comparable |
| First annual report date | June 30 | May 31 | Saskatchewan |
| 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 | 31 cents per kilogram | Alberta |
| Plastic fee, cheapest matched rate | 176 cents per kilogram | 113 cents per kilogram | Alberta |
The lowest revenue exemption is CA$1,500,000 in Alberta and CA$1,000,000 in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in Alberta but still in scope in Saskatchewan.
The earliest annual report date is June 30 in Alberta and May 31 in Saskatchewan, 30 days apart. Saskatchewan leaves less time to prepare, so its data has to be ready first.
Across 5 shared material classes, Alberta publishes the higher cheapest per-kilogram fee in 5, and Saskatchewan 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 Saskatchewan
Who collects and who the producer files with, in Alberta and then Saskatchewan.
| Aspect | Alberta | Saskatchewan |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | Extended Producer Responsibility Regulation, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (packaging, paper products) | Household Packaging and Paper Stewardship Program Regulations, 2023 |
| Regulator | Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA) | not yet published |
| Producers obligated | Yes | Yes |
| Registration | not yet published | Required, SK Recycles producer portal |
| Producer organisation | not yet published | one producer responsibility organisation: SK Recycles; membership required |
| Revenue counted as | gross revenue inside the jurisdiction, CAD, year | not yet published |
| 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 Saskatchewan cover, side by side
Each row below is one published feature of the two programmes; a cell reads “not yet published” when Alberta or Saskatchewan has no verified entry for it in the dataset.
| Aspect | Alberta | Saskatchewan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 19, material category |
| Exemption 1 | Producers under CAD 1,500,000 Alberta revenue are exempt | Under 1,000 kg to Saskatchewan residents |
| Exemption 2 | not yet published | Businesses under CAD 1 million in annual revenue |
Thresholds and exemptions in Alberta and Saskatchewan
Every verified threshold Alberta and Saskatchewan 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) |
| Saskatchewan | packaging weight | 1,000 kg | exempt below | annual supply to Saskatchewan residents |
| Saskatchewan | packaging weight | 5,000 kg | flat-fee band | 1,000 to 5,000 kg |
| Saskatchewan | revenue | CA$1,000,000 | exempt below | annual revenue |
Alberta exemption: Producers under CAD 1,500,000 Alberta revenue are exempt It does not have to be applied for.
Saskatchewan exemption: Under 1,000 kg to Saskatchewan residents It does not have to be applied for.
Saskatchewan exemption: Businesses under CAD 1 million in annual revenue 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 Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in Alberta but still in scope in Saskatchewan.
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) | Saskatchewan (CAD per kg) | Higher fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 48 cents per kilogram | 31 cents per kilogram | Alberta |
| plastic | 176 cents per kilogram | 113 cents per kilogram | Alberta |
| glass | 41 cents per kilogram | 30 cents per kilogram | Alberta |
| aluminium | 98 cents per kilogram | 86 cents per kilogram | Alberta |
| steel | 62 cents per kilogram | 46 cents per kilogram | Alberta |
Scaling the cheapest published rate by weight shows what the gap between Alberta and Saskatchewan 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) | Saskatchewan fee (CAD) | Saskatchewan minus Alberta (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 1 | CA$0.48 | CA$0.31 | -CA$0.17 |
| paper and board | 10 | CA$4.80 | CA$3.10 | -CA$1.70 |
| paper and board | 100 | CA$48.00 | CA$31.00 | -CA$17.00 |
| paper and board | 1,000 | CA$480.00 | CA$310.00 | -CA$170.00 |
| paper and board | 10,000 | CA$4,800.00 | CA$3,100.00 | -CA$1,700.00 |
| paper and board | 100,000 | CA$48,000.00 | CA$31,000.00 | -CA$17,000.00 |
| plastic | 1 | CA$1.76 | CA$1.13 | -CA$0.63 |
| plastic | 10 | CA$17.60 | CA$11.30 | -CA$6.30 |
| plastic | 100 | CA$176.00 | CA$113.00 | -CA$63.00 |
| plastic | 1,000 | CA$1,760.00 | CA$1,130.00 | -CA$630.00 |
| plastic | 10,000 | CA$17,600.00 | CA$11,300.00 | -CA$6,300.00 |
| plastic | 100,000 | CA$176,000.00 | CA$113,000.00 | -CA$63,000.00 |
| glass | 1 | CA$0.41 | CA$0.30 | -CA$0.11 |
| glass | 10 | CA$4.10 | CA$3.00 | -CA$1.10 |
| glass | 100 | CA$41.00 | CA$30.00 | -CA$11.00 |
| glass | 1,000 | CA$410.00 | CA$300.00 | -CA$110.00 |
| glass | 10,000 | CA$4,100.00 | CA$3,000.00 | -CA$1,100.00 |
| glass | 100,000 | CA$41,000.00 | CA$30,000.00 | -CA$11,000.00 |
| aluminium | 1 | CA$0.98 | CA$0.86 | -CA$0.12 |
| aluminium | 10 | CA$9.80 | CA$8.60 | -CA$1.20 |
| aluminium | 100 | CA$98.00 | CA$86.00 | -CA$12.00 |
| aluminium | 1,000 | CA$980.00 | CA$860.00 | -CA$120.00 |
| aluminium | 10,000 | CA$9,800.00 | CA$8,600.00 | -CA$1,200.00 |
| aluminium | 100,000 | CA$98,000.00 | CA$86,000.00 | -CA$12,000.00 |
| steel | 1 | CA$0.62 | CA$0.46 | -CA$0.16 |
| steel | 10 | CA$6.20 | CA$4.60 | -CA$1.60 |
| steel | 100 | CA$62.00 | CA$46.00 | -CA$16.00 |
| steel | 1,000 | CA$620.00 | CA$460.00 | -CA$160.00 |
| steel | 10,000 | CA$6,200.00 | CA$4,600.00 | -CA$1,600.00 |
| steel | 100,000 | CA$62,000.00 | CA$46,000.00 | -CA$16,000.00 |
Both schedules are in CAD, so the figures compare directly.
Saskatchewan: the 2027 fee schedule of SK Recycles, 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.
Saskatchewan 2027: the category “Boxboard” is published at 31 cents per kilogram.
Saskatchewan 2027: the category “Plastic Film” is published at 113 cents per kilogram.
Saskatchewan 2027: the category “Clear Glass” is published at 30 cents per kilogram.
Saskatchewan 2027: the category “Other Aluminum Packaging” is published at 86 cents per kilogram.
Saskatchewan 2027: the category “Other Steel Packaging incl. Paint Cans” is published at 46 cents per kilogram.
Real packs usually land in a dearer category, so use the calculator for Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Deadlines in Alberta and Saskatchewan
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 |
| Saskatchewan | report | May 31 | not yet published |
| Saskatchewan | payment | January 31 | fee year (the calendar year after the reporting year) |
| Saskatchewan | payment | April 30 | fee year (the calendar year after the reporting year) |
| Saskatchewan | payment | July 31 | fee year (the calendar year after the reporting year) |
| Saskatchewan | payment | October 31 | fee year (the calendar year after the reporting year) |
The earliest annual report date is June 30 in Alberta and May 31 in Saskatchewan, 30 days apart. Saskatchewan leaves less time to prepare, so its data has to be ready first.
Penalties in Alberta and Saskatchewan
What each side has published; a side without an amount says so.
Report formats in Alberta and Saskatchewan
How the report file for Alberta compares with the one for Saskatchewan.
| Aspect | Alberta | Saskatchewan |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Alberta PPP producer annual report Fee-year categories, reviewed 2026-09-29 | SK Recycles annual report Fee-year categories, reviewed 2026-09-29 |
| Recipient | Alberta Recycling Management Authority | SK Recycles |
| How it is submitted | ARMA producer portal | SK Recycles producer 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 Saskatchewan
Plan around the earlier report date first. Saskatchewan 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. Saskatchewan reaches smaller sellers than Alberta, so a seller that is exempt in Alberta may still have to register in Saskatchewan.
Questions about comparing these two programmes
Is Alberta or Saskatchewan stricter on packaging EPR?
Saskatchewan exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, CA$1,000,000 against CA$1,500,000 in Alberta. Saskatchewan asks for its first annual report earlier, on May 31 against June 30 in Alberta. Alberta publishes the higher per-kilogram fee in 5 of 5 shared material classes.
Do I register in both Alberta and Saskatchewan?
Alberta has not yet published its registration duty. Saskatchewan requires producers to register.
How do the fees per kilogram compare in Alberta and Saskatchewan?
Across 5 shared material classes, Alberta publishes the higher cheapest per-kilogram fee in 5, and Saskatchewan 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 Saskatchewan?
The earliest annual report date is June 30 in Alberta and May 31 in Saskatchewan, 30 days apart. Saskatchewan leaves less time to prepare, so its data has to be ready first.
What is the difference between Alberta and Saskatchewan?
Alberta: the packaging rules sit in Extended Producer Responsibility Regulation, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (packaging, paper products). Saskatchewan: the packaging rules sit in Household Packaging and Paper Stewardship Program Regulations, 2023. Alberta: the regulator is Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA).
Does Canada have EPR?
Saskatchewan: the packaging rules sit in Household Packaging and Paper Stewardship Program Regulations, 2023. Alberta: the regulator is Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA). Alberta places an obligation on packaging producers. Saskatchewan places an obligation on packaging producers.
Which is cheaper, Alberta or Saskatchewan?
Alberta: at the primary packaging level the producer hierarchy names the brand owner, importer and seller (2022). Saskatchewan: at the primary packaging level the producer hierarchy names the brand owner, importer and seller. Alberta: the packaging rules sit in Extended Producer Responsibility Regulation, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (packaging, paper products).
What can be recycled in Saskatchewan?
Alberta: the regulator is Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA). Alberta places an obligation on packaging producers. Saskatchewan places an obligation on packaging producers. 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.
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%
- skrecycles.ca: low volume producers retrieved
Original wording: Businesses supplying less than 1,000 kg of packaging and paper annually to Saskatchewan residents are exempt from registration and reporting requirements.
Original wording: Businesses supplying between 1,000 and 5,000 kg of material annually can file a simplified report and pay a flat fee.
- skrecycles.ca: are you a producer retrieved
Original wording: that business is the obligated producer as the brand holder.
Original wording: If a business or organization supplies packaging to consumers in Saskatchewan and is the brand owner resident in Canada
Original wording: Businesses with less than $1 million in annual revenue are also exempt.
- skrecycles.ca: reporting resources and guidebook retrieved
Original wording: Producers registered with SK Recycles are required to submit reports on the WeRecycle Portal by May 31
- sk-webmedia-assets-prod-shared-ca-central-1.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com: SK Recycles Membership Agreement Dec11 2024 Final 2 retrieved
Original wording: each such instalment is due on January 31st, April 30th, July 31st and October 31st of the respective Fee Obligation Year
- skrecycles.ca: fees retrieved
Original wording: Newsprint 63
- 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%
- skrecycles.ca: SK Recycles 2027 Fee Schedule retrieved
Original wording: SK RECYCLES FEE SCHEDULE (CENTS/KG)
Original wording: Boxboard 31.00 31.00 0.0%
Original wording: Plastic Film 113.00 119.00 -5.0%
Original wording: GLASS Clear Glass 30.00 31.00 -3.2%
Original wording: Other Aluminum Packaging 86.00 73.00 17.8%
Original wording: STEEL Other Steel Packaging including Paint cans ** 46.00 47.00 -2.1%
The free plan is enough to start. We estimate and prepare; you sign and submit.