British Columbia vs Oregon EPR: Rules Compared
Last verified
British Columbia and Oregon both run packaging EPR, but the rules differ. British Columbia exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, CA$1,000,000 against $5,000,000 in Oregon. Both set the lowest weight exemption at 1 tonne. Both require producers to register. Both programmes set their first annual report for May 31.
British Columbia and Oregon side by side
6 of 9 rows have a verified figure on each side of British Columbia and Oregon; 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 | British Columbia | Oregon | Stricter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration duty | Required | Required | Same |
| Producer organisation | one producer responsibility organisation | one producer responsibility organisation | Not comparable |
| Lowest revenue exemption | CA$1,000,000 | $5,000,000 | British Columbia |
| Lowest weight exemption | 1 tonne | 1 tonne | Same |
| First annual report date | May 31 | May 31 | Same |
| Published penalties | 1 published | 1 published | Not comparable |
| Report file | csv | csv | Not comparable |
| Paper fee, cheapest matched rate | 81 cents per kilogram | 2.0 cents per pound | British Columbia |
| Plastic fee, cheapest matched rate | 174 cents per kilogram | 12.0 cents per pound | British Columbia |
The lowest revenue exemption is CA$1,000,000 in British Columbia and $5,000,000 in Oregon (CA$6,989,000 at the Bank of Canada 2025 annual average rate). British Columbia therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in Oregon but still in scope in British Columbia.
The lowest weight exemption is the same on both sides: 1 tonne of packaging.
Both programmes require a producer to register, in British Columbia and in Oregon.
The first annual report date is the same on both sides, May 31.
Across 4 shared material classes, British Columbia publishes the higher cheapest per-kilogram fee in 4, and Oregon 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 British Columbia and Oregon
Who collects and who the producer files with, in British Columbia and then Oregon.
| Aspect | British Columbia | Oregon |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | Recycling Regulation, B.C. Reg. 449/2004 (packaging and paper product category) | Oregon Recycling Modernization Act, ORS 459A.860 to 459A.975 (SB 582 of 2021) |
| Regulator | not yet published | Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) |
| Producers obligated | Yes | Yes |
| Registration | Required, Recycle BC membership, registered through the WeRecycle Portal | Required, Circular Action Alliance producer portal (PRO registration); DEQ holds no separate producer registry |
| Producer organisation | one producer responsibility organisation: Recycle BC; membership required | one producer responsibility organisation: Circular Action Alliance; membership required |
| Transfer of responsibility | Allowed | Allowed |
| Revenue counted as | gross revenue inside the jurisdiction, CAD, most recent calendar year | organisation gross revenue, USD, fiscal year |
| Who counts as the producer | other: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, importer; primary: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, importer; secondary: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, importer; service: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, importer; shipping: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, importer; tertiary: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, importer | other: first distributor; primary: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, importer; secondary: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, importer; service: first distributor; shipping: packer and shipper; tertiary: first distributor |
Both programmes organise producer responsibility the same way: one producer responsibility organisation. The practical differences between British Columbia and Oregon therefore sit in thresholds, fees, dates and report formats rather than in whom a producer deals with.
What British Columbia and Oregon cover, side by side
Each row below is one published feature of the two programmes; a cell reads “not yet published” when British Columbia or Oregon has no verified entry for it in the dataset.
| Aspect | British Columbia | Oregon |
|---|---|---|
| Materials covered | paper, plastic, metal, glass, printed paper, packaging | packaging, printing and writing paper, food serviceware |
| Product classes covered | packaging, paper products | packaging, printing and writing paper, food serviceware |
| Excluded from scope | liquor containers handled separately, small producers | beverage containers under bottle bill, bound books, napkins paper towels and cleaning paper, rigid pallets, industrial or manufacturing specialty packaging, drug packaging, items used or sold on a farm, architectural paint containers in paint stewardship, privately recycled material on claim |
| Sales channels addressed | retail, online, distance sale | physical retail, remote sale, other distribution |
| Producer duty: primary packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; importer | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; importer |
| Producer duty: secondary packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; importer | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; importer |
| Producer duty: tertiary packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; importer | first_distributor |
| Producer duty: shipping packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; importer | packer_shipper |
| Producer duty: service packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; importer | first_distributor |
| Producer duty: other packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; importer | first_distributor |
| Reporting categories | 23, material category | 60, covered material type by material class |
| 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 | A small producer is exempt from PRO membership. Seven ways to qualify: nonprofit, public body, revenue under $5 million, under 1 metric ton, small beverage manufacturer, restaurant or food cart that is not a food-serviceware producer, single retail establishment with no online sales and no franchise or chain. |
| 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 | Product-specific exclusions from "covered product" listed in ORS 459A.863(6)(b)(A)-(R) and OAR 340-090-0840(2), such as Bottle Bill containers, bound books, drug packaging, farm items and architectural paint containers. |
| Exemption 3 | Businesses that are a registered charity | Material recycled through a non-Opportunity-to-Recycle collection, not separated at a commingled facility, and disposed to a responsible end market can be exempted if the producer demonstrates it to DEQ. Producers still report gross supply. (application needed) |
| Exemption 4 | Recycle BC FAQ states non-resident direct shippers are not obligated (they may elect to become voluntary producers) | not yet published |
| Published targets | not yet published | statewide_plastic_recycling_rate 25 by 2028-12-31; statewide_plastic_recycling_rate 50 by 2040-12-31; statewide_plastic_recycling_rate 70 by 2050-12-31 |
Thresholds and exemptions in British Columbia and Oregon
Every verified threshold British Columbia and Oregon publish, as each states it.
| Place | Measure | Amount | Effect | Basis as published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | revenue | CA$1,000,000 | exempt below | gross revenue in BC, most recent calendar year |
| British Columbia | packaging tonnage | 1 tonne | exempt below | packaging and paper produced in the most recent calendar year |
| British Columbia | packaging weight | 15,000 kg | flat-fee band | 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) |
| Oregon | revenue | $5,000,000 | exempt below | gross revenue, most recent fiscal year |
| Oregon | packaging tonnage | 1 metric ton | exempt below | covered products sold in or into Oregon, most recent calendar year |
| Oregon | packaging tonnage | 5 metric tons | exempt below | covered products, including secondary and tertiary packaging for beverage containers, most recent calendar year |
| Oregon | revenue | $10,000,000 | flat-fee band | gross revenue, most recent fiscal year, or under 5 metric tons sold in or into Oregon |
British Columbia exemption: 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 It does not have to be applied for.
British Columbia exemption: 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 It does not have to be applied for.
British Columbia exemption: Businesses that are a registered charity It does not have to be applied for.
British Columbia exemption: Recycle BC FAQ states non-resident direct shippers are not obligated (they may elect to become voluntary producers) It does not have to be applied for.
Oregon exemption: A small producer is exempt from PRO membership. Seven ways to qualify: nonprofit, public body, revenue under $5 million, under 1 metric ton, small beverage manufacturer, restaurant or food cart that is not a food-serviceware producer, single retail establishment with no online sales and no franchise or chain. It does not have to be applied for.
Oregon exemption: Product-specific exclusions from "covered product" listed in ORS 459A.863(6)(b)(A)-(R) and OAR 340-090-0840(2), such as Bottle Bill containers, bound books, drug packaging, farm items and architectural paint containers. It does not have to be applied for.
Oregon exemption: Material recycled through a non-Opportunity-to-Recycle collection, not separated at a commingled facility, and disposed to a responsible end market can be exempted if the producer demonstrates it to DEQ. Producers still report gross supply. 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$1,000,000 in British Columbia and $5,000,000 in Oregon (CA$6,989,000 at the Bank of Canada 2025 annual average rate). British Columbia therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in Oregon but still in scope in British Columbia.
The lowest weight exemption is the same on both sides: 1 tonne of packaging.
Fees per kilogram for shared materials
4 material classes have a published rate on both sides; each row shows the cheapest rate that fits the class.
| Material class | British Columbia (CAD per kg) | Oregon (USD per kg) | Oregon in CAD, approx. | Higher fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 81 cents per kilogram | 2.0 cents per pound | CA$0.0616 | British Columbia |
| plastic | 174 cents per kilogram | 12.0 cents per pound | CA$0.3698 | British Columbia |
| glass | 61 cents per kilogram | 0.0 cents per pound | CA$0.00 | British Columbia |
| steel | 71 cents per kilogram | 4.0 cents per pound | CA$0.1233 | British Columbia |
Scaling the cheapest published rate by weight shows what the gap between British Columbia and Oregon amounts to for a given tonnage of one material. The amounts are the rate times the weight, nothing added.
| Material class | Kilograms | British Columbia fee (CAD) | Oregon fee (USD) | Oregon in CAD, approx. | Oregon minus British Columbia (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 1 | CA$0.81 | $0.04 | CA$0.06 | -CA$0.75 |
| paper and board | 10 | CA$8.10 | $0.44 | CA$0.62 | -CA$7.48 |
| paper and board | 100 | CA$81.00 | $4.41 | CA$6.16 | -CA$74.84 |
| paper and board | 1,000 | CA$810.00 | $44.09 | CA$61.63 | -CA$748.37 |
| paper and board | 10,000 | CA$8,100.00 | $440.92 | CA$616.32 | -CA$7,483.68 |
| paper and board | 100,000 | CA$81,000.00 | $4,409.25 | CA$6,163.24 | -CA$74,836.76 |
| plastic | 1 | CA$1.74 | $0.26 | CA$0.37 | -CA$1.37 |
| plastic | 10 | CA$17.40 | $2.65 | CA$3.70 | -CA$13.70 |
| plastic | 100 | CA$174.00 | $26.46 | CA$36.98 | -CA$137.02 |
| plastic | 1,000 | CA$1,740.00 | $264.55 | CA$369.79 | -CA$1,370.21 |
| plastic | 10,000 | CA$17,400.00 | $2,645.55 | CA$3,697.95 | -CA$13,702.05 |
| plastic | 100,000 | CA$174,000.00 | $26,455.47 | CA$36,979.46 | -CA$137,020.54 |
| glass | 1 | CA$0.61 | $0.00 | CA$0.00 | -CA$0.61 |
| glass | 10 | CA$6.10 | $0.00 | CA$0.00 | -CA$6.10 |
| glass | 100 | CA$61.00 | $0.00 | CA$0.00 | -CA$61.00 |
| glass | 1,000 | CA$610.00 | $0.00 | CA$0.00 | -CA$610.00 |
| glass | 10,000 | CA$6,100.00 | $0.00 | CA$0.00 | -CA$6,100.00 |
| glass | 100,000 | CA$61,000.00 | $0.00 | CA$0.00 | -CA$61,000.00 |
| steel | 1 | CA$0.71 | $0.09 | CA$0.12 | -CA$0.59 |
| steel | 10 | CA$7.10 | $0.88 | CA$1.23 | -CA$5.87 |
| steel | 100 | CA$71.00 | $8.82 | CA$12.33 | -CA$58.67 |
| steel | 1,000 | CA$710.00 | $88.18 | CA$123.26 | -CA$586.74 |
| steel | 10,000 | CA$7,100.00 | $881.85 | CA$1,232.65 | -CA$5,867.35 |
| steel | 100,000 | CA$71,000.00 | $8,818.49 | CA$12,326.49 | -CA$58,673.51 |
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.
Oregon: the 2027 fee schedule of Circular Action Alliance (Oregon PRO), effective January 1, 2027, is the source of the per-kilogram rates used on this page.
British Columbia: the 2027 fee schedule of Recycle BC, effective January 1, 2027, is the source of the per-kilogram rates used on this page.
British Columbia 2027: the category “Kraft Paper” is published at 81 cents per kilogram.
British Columbia 2027: the category “Plastic Film” is published at 174 cents per kilogram.
British Columbia 2027: the category “Clear Glass” is published at 61 cents per kilogram.
British Columbia 2027: the category “Other Steel Packaging including Paint Cans” is published at 71 cents per kilogram.
Oregon 2027: the category “Kraft Paper” is published at 2.0 cents per pound.
Oregon 2027: the category “HDPE (#2)/LDPE (#4) Flexible and Film Items” is published at 12.0 cents per pound.
Oregon 2027: the category “Glass Bottles and Jars & Other Containers” is published at 0.0 cents per pound.
Oregon 2027: the category “Steel Containers” is published at 4.0 cents per pound.
Real packs usually land in a dearer category, so use the calculator for British Columbia and Oregon.
Deadlines in British Columbia and Oregon
Each verified date, with the period it covers when one is given.
| Place | Kind | Date | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | report | May 31 | the previous calendar year |
| British Columbia | payment | January 31 | each quarter |
| Oregon | report | May 31, 2026 | calendar year 2025 |
| Oregon | other | July 1, 2025 | not yet published |
| Oregon | other | January 1, 2027 | not yet published |
| Oregon | report | December 31, 2026 | not yet published |
The first annual report date is the same on both sides, May 31.
Penalties in British Columbia and Oregon
What each side has published; a side without an amount says so.
British Columbia penalty for Offence under the Recycling Regulation: up to CA$200,000 per offence.
Oregon penalty for failing to register or become a member of a producer responsibility organization: up to $25,000 per day.
Report formats in British Columbia and Oregon
How the report file for British Columbia compares with the one for Oregon.
| Aspect | British Columbia | Oregon |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Recycle BC annual supply report Fee-year categories, reviewed 2026-09-29 | Oregon producer supply report by material category 2026-09-29 (built from CAA Oregon 2026 fee schedule) |
| Recipient | Recycle BC | Circular Action Alliance (Oregon PRO) |
| How it is submitted | Recycle BC steward portal | CAA producer portal. The customer signs in and submits. |
| 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 | 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, British Columbia or Oregon
Check the exemption thresholds before anything else. British Columbia reaches smaller sellers than Oregon, so a seller that is exempt in Oregon may still have to register in British Columbia.
Questions about comparing these two programmes
Is British Columbia or Oregon stricter on packaging EPR?
British Columbia exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, CA$1,000,000 against $5,000,000 in Oregon. Both set the lowest weight exemption at 1 tonne. Both require producers to register. Both programmes set their first annual report for May 31. British Columbia publishes the higher per-kilogram fee in 4 of 4 shared material classes.
Do I register in both British Columbia and Oregon?
British Columbia requires producers to register. Oregon requires producers to register.
How do the fees per kilogram compare in British Columbia and Oregon?
Across 4 shared material classes, British Columbia publishes the higher cheapest per-kilogram fee in 4, and Oregon 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, British Columbia or Oregon?
The first annual report date is the same on both sides, May 31.
How these figures are made
Sources
- bclaws.gov.bc.ca: 449 2004 retrieved
Original wording: commits an offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding $200 000.
Original wording: if the producer is operating under a franchise agreement, the producer, the franchisor and the other parties with whom the franchisor h
Original wording: gross revenue in the most recent calendar year of less than $1 000 000 in British Columbia
Original wording: if subparagraph (i) does not apply, a person who is not the manufacturer of the product but is the owner or licensee of a trademark
Original wording: the producer had a gross revenue in the most recent calendar year of less than $1 000 000 in British Columbia;
Original wording: the producer produced in the most recent calendar year less than one tonne of products within the packaging and paper product category
Original wording: a person sells the product or offers the product for sale by any means, including
- recyclebc.ca: producer faqs retrieved
Original wording: To become a member of the Recycle BC program please visit the WeRecycle Portal and follow the steps to register as a new producer.
Original wording: Recycle BC is the only organization that businesses can join in order to fulfill the requirements of Schedule 5 of the BC Recycling Regulation
Original wording: Companies that do not have residency in BC but ship products directly to BC residents are not obligated under the BC Recycling Regulation
- recyclebc.ca: small business low volume retrieved
Original wording: Eligible stewards supplying 1,000 to 15,000 kg of PPP annually have the option to file simplified report
Original wording: Businesses that have less than $1 million in annual revenues in BC;
Original wording: 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
Original wording: Are a registered charity.
- recyclebc.ca: fee schedule retrieved
Original wording: Producers are required to file their reports by May 31 each year, and fees are paid quarterly as follows
Original wording: Newsprint 76
- oregon.gov: producers of covered products retrieved
Original wording: producers of products covered under Oregon's Recycling Modernization Act (packaging, paper, and food serviceware)
Original wording: Circular Action Alliance, at present, is Oregon's only approved Producer Responsibility Organization
Original wording: In order to access CAA's data reporting portal, producers must first sign the Producer Participant Agreement with CAA
Original wording: was allowed to begin charging fees from member producers on July 1, 2025
Original wording: Large producer first impact disclosure date of Dec. 31, 2026
Original wording: is a Class 1 violation that can result in fines of up to $25,000 per day.
- oregon.public.law: ors 459A.869 retrieved
Original wording: each producer must register with and be a member of a producer responsibility organization that administers a producer responsibility program
Original wording: A producer is not required to be a member of a producer responsibility organization if, for all covered product the producer sells
- oregon.public.law: ors 459A.863 retrieved
Original wording: Has a gross revenue of less than $5 million for the organization's most recent fiscal year
Original wording: Sold in or into Oregon less than one metric ton of covered products for use in this state in the most recent calendar year
Original wording: that sold in or into Oregon less than five metric tons of covered products
Original wording: "Covered product" means: (A) Packaging; (B) Printing and writing paper; and (C) Food serviceware.
- oregon.public.law: ors 459A.866 retrieved
Original wording: the producer of the packaging is the person that manufactures the packaged item
- oregon.public.law: ors 459A.884 retrieved
Original wording: a producer responsibility organization shall establish uniform membership fees for members that had a gross revenue of less than $10 million
- oregon.public.law: ors 459A.872 retrieved
Original wording: A small producer is exempt from the requirement to be a member of a producer responsibility organization
- oregon.gov: rma exemptions retrieved
Original wording: Covered product exemptions, meanwhile, are product-specific exemptions that exclude a given type of packaging
Original wording: The latest window for producers to submit claims for this exemption was Jan. 6 – March 31, 2026
Original wording: The next claims window will open in Jan. 2027.
- circularactionalliance.org: producer reporting retrieved
Original wording: Oregon's 2026 Report is due May 31, 2026, based on the 2025 Data Year.
- circularactionalliance.org: OR 2026 Fee Schedule Public retrieved
Original wording: Materials labeled N/A in the following table are not accepted on either the USCL or PRO Recycling Acceptance List.
- oregon.public.law: ors 459A.926 retrieved
Original wording: At least 25 percent by calendar year 2028 and in each subsequent year
- Bank of Canada, FXAUSDCAD (annual average 2025) retrieved
- recyclebc.ca: Recycle BC 2027 Fee Schedule retrieved
Original wording: RECYCLE BC FEE SCHEDULE (CENTS/KG)
Original wording: Kraft Paper * 81.00 77.00 5.2%
Original wording: Plastic Film 174.00 184.00 -5.4%
Original wording: GLASS Clear Glass 61.00 58.00 5.2%
Original wording: STEEL Other Steel Packaging including Paint cans ** 71.00 68.00 4.4%
- circularactionalliance.org: OR 2027FeeSchedule 100126 retrieved
Original wording: 2027 Oregon Producer Fees Schedule Fees for Program Year 2027
Original wording: Kraft Paper USCL 0.07 0.00 -0.05 0.02
Original wording: HDPE (#2)/LDPE (#4) Flexible and Film Items PRO 0.29 0.00 -0.17 0.12
Original wording: Glass Bottles and Jars & Other Containers PRO 0.04 -0.01 -0.03 0.00
Original wording: Steel Containers USCL 0.09 0.00 -0.05 0.04
The free plan is enough to start. We estimate and prepare; you sign and submit.