British Columbia vs Washington EPR: Rules Compared
Last verified
British Columbia and Washington 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 Washington. Washington has the lower weight floor, 907.2 kg against 1 tonne in British Columbia. Both require producers to register. Both programmes set their first annual report for May 31.
British Columbia and Washington side by side
4 of 9 rows have a verified figure on each side of British Columbia and Washington; 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 | Washington | 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 | 907.2 kg | Washington |
| 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 | not yet published | Not comparable |
| Plastic fee, cheapest matched rate | 174 cents per kilogram | not yet published | Not comparable |
The lowest revenue exemption is CA$1,000,000 in British Columbia and $5,000,000 in Washington (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 Washington but still in scope in British Columbia.
The lowest weight exemption is 1 tonne of packaging in British Columbia and 907.2 kg in Washington, about 1.1 times as much in British Columbia as in Washington. A seller whose packaging falls between the two lines is exempt in British Columbia but counted in Washington.
Both programmes require a producer to register, in British Columbia and in Washington.
The first annual report date is the same on both sides, May 31.
Who runs the programme in British Columbia and Washington
Who collects and who the producer files with, in British Columbia and then Washington.
| Aspect | British Columbia | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | Recycling Regulation, B.C. Reg. 449/2004 (packaging and paper product category) | Washington Recycling Reform Act, chapter 70A.208 RCW |
| Regulator | not yet published | Washington State Department of Ecology |
| Producers obligated | Yes | Yes |
| Registration | Required, Recycle BC membership, registered through the WeRecycle Portal | Required, Producer registers with a PRO; the PRO registers with Ecology |
| Producer organisation | one producer responsibility organisation: Recycle BC; membership required | one producer responsibility organisation: Circular Action Alliance; membership required |
| Transfer of responsibility | Allowed | not yet published |
| Revenue counted as | gross revenue inside the jurisdiction, CAD, most recent calendar year | worldwide gross revenue, USD, prior 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 | primary: manufacturer, brand licensee, brand owner, importer |
Both programmes organise producer responsibility the same way: one producer responsibility organisation. The practical differences between British Columbia and Washington therefore sit in thresholds, fees, dates and report formats rather than in whom a producer deals with.
What British Columbia and Washington 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 Washington has no verified entry for it in the dataset.
| Aspect | British Columbia | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Materials covered | paper, plastic, metal, glass, printed paper, packaging | packaging, paper products |
| Product classes covered | packaging, paper products | packaging, paper |
| Excluded from scope | liquor containers handled separately, small producers | exempt materials |
| Sales channels addressed | retail, online, distance sale | physical retail, remote sale, other distribution |
| Producer duty: primary packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; importer | manufacturer; licensee; brand_owner; importer |
| Producer duty: secondary packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; importer | not yet published |
| Producer duty: tertiary packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; importer | not yet published |
| Producer duty: shipping packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; importer | not yet published |
| Producer duty: service packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; importer | not yet published |
| Producer duty: other packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; importer | not yet published |
| Reporting categories | 23, material category | not yet published |
| 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 de minimis producer is under one ton, or under the global revenue limit, or an agricultural employer within limits. |
| 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 | Registered 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations are excluded from the producer definition. |
| Exemption 3 | Businesses that are a registered charity | not yet published |
| Exemption 4 | Recycle BC FAQ states non-resident direct shippers are not obligated (they may elect to become voluntary producers) | not yet published |
Thresholds and exemptions in British Columbia and Washington
Every verified threshold British Columbia and Washington 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) |
| Washington | packaging tonnage | 1 short ton | exempt below | covered materials introduced, most recent fiscal year |
| Washington | revenue | $5,000,000 | exempt below | global gross revenue, prior fiscal year |
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.
Washington exemption: A de minimis producer is under one ton, or under the global revenue limit, or an agricultural employer within limits. It does not have to be applied for.
Washington exemption: Registered 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations are excluded from the producer definition. 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$1,000,000 in British Columbia and $5,000,000 in Washington (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 Washington but still in scope in British Columbia.
The lowest weight exemption is 1 tonne of packaging in British Columbia and 907.2 kg in Washington, about 1.1 times as much in British Columbia as in Washington. A seller whose packaging falls between the two lines is exempt in British Columbia but counted in Washington.
Fees per kilogram for shared materials
British Columbia publishes per-kilogram rates in the dataset; Washington does not. The rows therefore show British Columbia only. Until both sides publish per-kilogram rates for the same material class, a fee comparison between British Columbia and Washington would mean inventing a figure, and this page does not do that.
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.
Deadlines in British Columbia and Washington
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 |
| Washington | other | March 1, 2026 | not yet published |
| Washington | report | May 31, 2026 | not yet published |
| Washington | registration | July 1, 2026 | not yet published |
| Washington | other | October 1, 2028 | not yet published |
| Washington | other | March 1, 2029 | not yet published |
| Washington | other | January 1, 2030 | not yet published |
| Washington | payment | February 15, 2031 | not yet published |
| Washington | payment | February 15, 2032 | not yet published |
The first annual report date is the same on both sides, May 31.
Penalties in British Columbia and Washington
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.
Washington penalty for producer violating chapter 70A.208 RCW: up to $1,000 per day.
Report formats in British Columbia and Washington
How the report file for British Columbia compares with the one for Washington.
| Aspect | British Columbia | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Recycle BC annual supply report Fee-year categories, reviewed 2026-09-29 | Washington interim producer supply report by material class 2026-09-29 (interim, built from CAA guidance) |
| Recipient | Recycle BC | Circular Action Alliance (Washington 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 Washington
Check the exemption thresholds before anything else. British Columbia reaches smaller sellers than Washington, so a seller that is exempt in Washington may still have to register in British Columbia.
Questions about comparing these two programmes
Is British Columbia or Washington stricter on packaging EPR?
British Columbia exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, CA$1,000,000 against $5,000,000 in Washington. Washington has the lower weight floor, 907.2 kg against 1 tonne in British Columbia. Both require producers to register. Both programmes set their first annual report for May 31.
Do I register in both British Columbia and Washington?
British Columbia requires producers to register. Washington requires producers to register.
How do the fees per kilogram compare in British Columbia and Washington?
The dataset does not hold per-kilogram rates for the same material class on both sides, so this page does not compare fees.
Which deadline comes first, British Columbia or Washington?
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
- circularactionalliance.org: washington retrieved
Original wording: required in the Recycling Reform Act
Original wording: By January 1, 2026 Washington Department of Ecology must establish and appoint the initial membership of the advisory council.
Original wording: July 1, 2026 Washington regulatory deadline for Producers to register with a PRO.
Original wording: By March 1, 2026 A PRO must register with Washington Department of Ecology on behalf of its producers.
Original wording: By May 31, 2026 Reporting (Interim State Addendum Signed & Simplified Reporting)
- app.leg.wa.gov: default retrieved
Original wording: After July 1, 2026, be a member of a producer responsibility organization registered in this state
Original wording: Has a global gross revenue, not including on-premises alcohol sales, for the prior fiscal year of
Original wording: the producer is the person that manufactures the item
Original wording: In their most recent fiscal year introduced less than one ton of covered materials
Original wording: Until January 1, 2031, less than $5,000,000
Original wording: "De minimis producer" means a producer that
Original wording: Registered 501(c)(3) charitable organizations and 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations
Original wording: By October 1, 2028, and every five years thereafter, submit a plan that meets the requirements of this chapter
Original wording: Beginning March 1, 2029, a producer that is not a member in good standing with a registered producer responsibility organization
Original wording: By January 1, 2030, or within six months of plan approval, whichever is later, implement the plan approved by the department
Original wording: No less than 75 percent of the net costs by February 15, 2031
Original wording: No less than 90 percent of the net costs by February 15, 2032, and each year thereafter
Original wording: civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation per day on any producer who violates this chapter
Original wording: "Covered material" means packaging and paper products introduced into the state.
- ecology.wa.gov: producer responsibility organization retrieved
Original wording: The Circular Action Alliance is the PRO representing producers in Washington. We encourage all potentially obligated producers to register with CAA.
- 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%
The free plan is enough to start. We estimate and prepare; you sign and submit.