California vs Saskatchewan EPR: Rules Compared
Last verified
California and Saskatchewan both run packaging EPR, but the rules differ. Saskatchewan exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, CA$1,000,000 against $1,000,000 in California. Both require producers to register. Saskatchewan publishes the higher per-kilogram fee in 5 of 5 shared material classes.
California and Saskatchewan side by side
4 of 9 rows have a verified figure on each side of California 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 | California | Saskatchewan | Stricter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration duty | Required | Required | Same |
| Producer organisation | one producer responsibility organisation | one producer responsibility organisation | Not comparable |
| Lowest revenue exemption | $1,000,000 | CA$1,000,000 | Saskatchewan |
| Lowest weight exemption | none recorded; see thresholds | 1 tonne | Not comparable |
| First annual report date | not yet published | May 31 | Not comparable |
| Published penalties | 1 published | not yet published | Not comparable |
| Report file | csv | csv | Not comparable |
| Paper fee, cheapest matched rate | 0.4 cents per pound | 31 cents per kilogram | Saskatchewan |
| Plastic fee, cheapest matched rate | 2.5 cents per pound | 113 cents per kilogram | Saskatchewan |
The lowest revenue exemption is $1,000,000 in California and CA$1,000,000 in Saskatchewan ($715,410 at the Bank of Canada 2025 annual average rate). Saskatchewan therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in California but still in scope in Saskatchewan.
Both programmes require a producer to register, in California and in Saskatchewan.
Across 5 shared material classes, Saskatchewan publishes the higher cheapest per-kilogram fee in 5, and California 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 California and Saskatchewan
Who collects and who the producer files with, in California and then Saskatchewan.
| Aspect | California | Saskatchewan |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | California SB 54, Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (Public Resources Code, Division 30, Part 3, Chapter 3.1) | Household Packaging and Paper Stewardship Program Regulations, 2023 |
| Regulator | CalRecycle (Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery), through its PEPRS portal | not yet published |
| Producers obligated | Yes | Yes |
| Registration | Required, PEPRS (CalRecycle Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility System) | Required, SK Recycles producer portal |
| Producer organisation | one producer responsibility organisation: Circular Action Alliance; membership required | one producer responsibility organisation: SK Recycles; membership required |
| Transfer of responsibility | Not allowed | not yet published |
| Revenue counted as | gross revenue inside the jurisdiction, USD, calendar year | not yet published |
| Who counts as the producer | other: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, first distributor; primary: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, first distributor; secondary: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, first distributor; service: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, first distributor; shipping: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, first distributor; tertiary: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, first distributor | primary: brand owner, importer, seller; secondary: brand owner, importer, seller; tertiary: brand owner, importer, seller |
Both programmes organise producer responsibility the same way: one producer responsibility organisation. The practical differences between California and Saskatchewan therefore sit in thresholds, fees, dates and report formats rather than in whom a producer deals with.
What California and Saskatchewan cover, side by side
Each row below is one published feature of the two programmes; a cell reads “not yet published” when California or Saskatchewan has no verified entry for it in the dataset.
| Aspect | California | Saskatchewan |
|---|---|---|
| Materials covered | single use packaging, plastic single use food service ware | not yet published |
| Product classes covered | primary packaging, secondary packaging, tertiary packaging, packaging components and ancillary elements | not yet published |
| Excluded from scope | medical products and drugs, animal medicines, infant formula, medical food, fifra products, dangerous goods plastic containers, hazcom hazardous or flammable products, beverage containers subject to crv, long term product protection 5 years, architectural paint program packaging, agricultural commodity packaged on site | not yet published |
| Sales channels addressed | retail, wholesale, remote offering, online | not yet published |
| Producer duty: primary packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; first_distributor | brand_owner; importer; seller |
| Producer duty: secondary packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; first_distributor | brand_owner; importer; seller |
| Producer duty: tertiary packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; first_distributor | brand_owner; importer; seller |
| Producer duty: shipping packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; first_distributor | not yet published |
| Producer duty: service packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; first_distributor | not yet published |
| Producer duty: other packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; first_distributor | not yet published |
| Published targets | plastic_source_reduction 10 by 2027-01-01; plastic_source_reduction 20 by 2030-01-01; plastic_source_reduction 25 by 2032-01-01; plastic_recycling_rate 30 by 2028-01-01; plastic_recycling_rate 40 by 2030-01-01; plastic_recycling_rate 65 by 2032-01-01; recyclable_or_compostable_share 100 by 2032-01-01 | not yet published |
| Exemption 1 | Temporary, renewable exemption from most reporting and fee requirements for producers with gross annual California sales under $1 million. Long-term duty remains: all packaging recyclable or compostable by 2032. (application needed) | Under 1,000 kg to Saskatchewan residents |
| Exemption 2 | A person who produces, harvests and packages an agricultural commodity on the site where it was grown or raised is not a producer. | Businesses under CAD 1 million in annual revenue |
| Exemption 3 | Beverage containers subject to the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act are not covered material. | not yet published |
| Exemption 4 | Covered material meeting a 65% (through 2026) or 70% (2027 on) recycling rate, outside curbside collection and commingled sorting, recycled at responsible end markets, is not covered material once CalRecycle approves the producer's demonstration. (application needed) | not yet published |
| Reporting categories | not yet published | 19, material category |
Thresholds and exemptions in California and Saskatchewan
Every verified threshold California and Saskatchewan publish, as each states it.
| Place | Measure | Amount | Effect | Basis as published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | revenue | $1,000,000 | exempt below | gross annual sales in California, most recent calendar year |
| 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 |
California exemption: Temporary, renewable exemption from most reporting and fee requirements for producers with gross annual California sales under $1 million. Long-term duty remains: all packaging recyclable or compostable by 2032. It must be applied for.
California exemption: A person who produces, harvests and packages an agricultural commodity on the site where it was grown or raised is not a producer. It does not have to be applied for.
California exemption: Beverage containers subject to the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act are not covered material. It does not have to be applied for.
California exemption: Covered material meeting a 65% (through 2026) or 70% (2027 on) recycling rate, outside curbside collection and commingled sorting, recycled at responsible end markets, is not covered material once CalRecycle approves the producer's demonstration. It must 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 $1,000,000 in California and CA$1,000,000 in Saskatchewan ($715,410 at the Bank of Canada 2025 annual average rate). Saskatchewan therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in California 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 | California (USD per kg) | Saskatchewan (CAD per kg) | Saskatchewan in USD, approx. | Higher fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 0.4 cents per pound | 31 cents per kilogram | $0.2218 | Saskatchewan |
| plastic | 2.5 cents per pound | 113 cents per kilogram | $0.8084 | Saskatchewan |
| glass | 0.3 cents per pound | 30 cents per kilogram | $0.2146 | Saskatchewan |
| aluminium | 0.8 cents per pound | 86 cents per kilogram | $0.6153 | Saskatchewan |
| steel | 0.8 cents per pound | 46 cents per kilogram | $0.3291 | Saskatchewan |
Scaling the cheapest published rate by weight shows what the gap between California and Saskatchewan amounts to for a given tonnage of one material. The amounts are the rate times the weight, nothing added.
| Material class | Kilograms | California fee (USD) | Saskatchewan fee (CAD) | Saskatchewan in USD, approx. | Saskatchewan minus California (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 1 | $0.01 | CA$0.31 | $0.22 | +$0.21 |
| paper and board | 10 | $0.09 | CA$3.10 | $2.22 | +$2.13 |
| paper and board | 100 | $0.88 | CA$31.00 | $22.18 | +$21.30 |
| paper and board | 1,000 | $8.82 | CA$310.00 | $221.78 | +$212.96 |
| paper and board | 10,000 | $88.18 | CA$3,100.00 | $2,217.77 | +$2,129.59 |
| paper and board | 100,000 | $881.85 | CA$31,000.00 | $22,177.71 | +$21,295.86 |
| plastic | 1 | $0.06 | CA$1.13 | $0.81 | +$0.75 |
| plastic | 10 | $0.55 | CA$11.30 | $8.08 | +$7.53 |
| plastic | 100 | $5.51 | CA$113.00 | $80.84 | +$75.33 |
| plastic | 1,000 | $55.12 | CA$1,130.00 | $808.41 | +$753.30 |
| plastic | 10,000 | $551.16 | CA$11,300.00 | $8,084.13 | +$7,532.98 |
| plastic | 100,000 | $5,511.56 | CA$113,000.00 | $80,841.32 | +$75,329.77 |
| glass | 1 | $0.01 | CA$0.30 | $0.21 | +$0.21 |
| glass | 10 | $0.07 | CA$3.00 | $2.15 | +$2.08 |
| glass | 100 | $0.66 | CA$30.00 | $21.46 | +$20.80 |
| glass | 1,000 | $6.61 | CA$300.00 | $214.62 | +$208.01 |
| glass | 10,000 | $66.14 | CA$3,000.00 | $2,146.23 | +$2,080.09 |
| glass | 100,000 | $661.39 | CA$30,000.00 | $21,462.30 | +$20,800.91 |
| aluminium | 1 | $0.02 | CA$0.86 | $0.62 | +$0.60 |
| aluminium | 10 | $0.18 | CA$8.60 | $6.15 | +$5.98 |
| aluminium | 100 | $1.76 | CA$86.00 | $61.53 | +$59.76 |
| aluminium | 1,000 | $17.64 | CA$860.00 | $615.25 | +$597.62 |
| aluminium | 10,000 | $176.37 | CA$8,600.00 | $6,152.53 | +$5,976.16 |
| aluminium | 100,000 | $1,763.70 | CA$86,000.00 | $61,525.25 | +$59,761.56 |
| steel | 1 | $0.02 | CA$0.46 | $0.33 | +$0.31 |
| steel | 10 | $0.18 | CA$4.60 | $3.29 | +$3.11 |
| steel | 100 | $1.76 | CA$46.00 | $32.91 | +$31.15 |
| steel | 1,000 | $17.64 | CA$460.00 | $329.09 | +$311.45 |
| steel | 10,000 | $176.37 | CA$4,600.00 | $3,290.89 | +$3,114.52 |
| steel | 100,000 | $1,763.70 | CA$46,000.00 | $32,908.86 | +$31,145.16 |
Converted from CAD to USD 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.
Saskatchewan: the 2027 fee schedule of SK Recycles, effective January 1, 2027, is the source of the per-kilogram rates used on this page.
California: the 2026 fee schedule of Circular Action Alliance (California PRO), early fee, effective January 1, 2026, is the source of the per-kilogram rates used on this page.
California 2026: the category “Paper/Fiber” is published at 0.4 cents per pound.
California 2026: the category “Plastic - Flexible” is published at 2.5 cents per pound.
California 2026: the category “Glass and Ceramics” is published at 0.3 cents per pound.
California 2026: the category “Metal” is published at 0.8 cents per pound.
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 California and Saskatchewan.
Deadlines in California and Saskatchewan
Each verified date, with the period it covers when one is given.
| Place | Kind | Date | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | registration | January 1, 2027 | not yet published |
| California | taxonomy update | January 1, 2027 | 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) |
Penalties in California and Saskatchewan
What each side has published; a side without an amount says so.
California penalty for failure to comply with the chapter or its regulations: up to $50,000 per day per violation.
Report formats in California and Saskatchewan
How the report file for California compares with the one for Saskatchewan.
| Aspect | California | Saskatchewan |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | California SB 54 producer data by covered material category 2026-09-29 (built from PRC 42052(a)(1) and CalRecycle guidance of 4 August 2026) | SK Recycles annual report Fee-year categories, reviewed 2026-09-29 |
| Recipient | Circular Action Alliance (PRO) or CalRecycle through PEPRS for self-reporting producers | SK Recycles |
| How it is submitted | CAA producer portal, or CalRecycle PEPRS when the producer reports directly. The customer signs in and submits. | SK Recycles producer portal |
| File type | csv | csv |
| Encoding | utf-8 | utf-8 |
| Delimiter | , | , |
| Decimal separator | . | |
| Columns | 5 | 4 |
| Required columns | 5 of 5 | 4 of 4 |
| Weight unit | lb | 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, California or Saskatchewan
Check the exemption thresholds before anything else. Saskatchewan reaches smaller sellers than California, so a seller that is exempt in California may still have to register in Saskatchewan.
Questions about comparing these two programmes
Is California or Saskatchewan stricter on packaging EPR?
Saskatchewan exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, CA$1,000,000 against $1,000,000 in California. Both require producers to register. Saskatchewan publishes the higher per-kilogram fee in 5 of 5 shared material classes.
Do I register in both California and Saskatchewan?
California requires producers to register. Saskatchewan requires producers to register.
How do the fees per kilogram compare in California and Saskatchewan?
Across 5 shared material classes, Saskatchewan publishes the higher cheapest per-kilogram fee in 5, and California 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, California or Saskatchewan?
The dataset does not hold a verified annual report date on both sides, so this page does not say which comes first.
Which states have passed EPR laws?
California: at the primary packaging level the producer hierarchy names the manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee and first distributor (2023). Saskatchewan: at the primary packaging level the producer hierarchy names the brand owner, importer and seller.
Does CA actually recycle?
California: the packaging rules sit in California SB 54, Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (Public Resources Code, Division 30, Part 3, Chapter 3.1). Saskatchewan: the packaging rules sit in Household Packaging and Paper Stewardship Program Regulations, 2023.
Why are recycling centers closing in California?
Saskatchewan: the packaging rules sit in Household Packaging and Paper Stewardship Program Regulations, 2023. California: the regulator is CalRecycle (Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery), through its PEPRS portal. California places an obligation on packaging producers. Saskatchewan places an obligation on packaging producers.
What are extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations?
Saskatchewan: at the primary packaging level the producer hierarchy names the brand owner, importer and seller. California: the packaging rules sit in California SB 54, Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (Public Resources Code, Division 30, Part 3, Chapter 3.1).
How these figures are made
Sources
- calrecycle.ca.gov: packaging epr retrieved
Original wording: SB 54 establishes a new extended producer responsibility (EPR) program to manage packaging and single-use plastic food service ware products
Original wording: Circular Action Alliance has been approved to serve as the first Producer Responsibility Organization.
Original wording: This updated information will inform the next update to the Covered Material Categories List, which will be published by January 1, 2027.
- calrecycle.ca.gov: producerguidance retrieved
Original wording: PEPRS is CalRecycle’s online portal for: Producer Registration Data Submission Compliance Tracking
Original wording: Circular Action Alliance manages registration, reporting, and submissions of certain exemptions and exclusions on the producers’ behalf.
Original wording: 65% Single-Use Plastic Recycled
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov: codes displaySection.xhtml (faces) retrieved
Original wording: a producer shall not sell, offer for sale, import, or distribute covered materials in the state unless the producer is approved to participate
Original wording: upon approval of a plan pursuant to Section 42063, or commencing January 1, 2027, whichever is sooner
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov: codes displaySection.xhtml (faces) retrieved
Original wording: The owner or operator of the online marketplace shall not be considered the retailer or wholesaler for such sales.
Original wording: the producer of the covered material is the person who sells, offers for sale, or distributes the product that uses the covered material
Original wording: “Producer” does not include a person who produces, harvests, and packages an agricultural commodity on the site where the agricultural commodity was grown or raised.
Original wording: the sale of covered materials shall be deemed to occur in the state if the covered materials are delivered to the purchaser in the state
- www2.calrecycle.ca.gov: 138910 retrieved
Original wording: Enter the amount of total gross annual sales (U.S. dollar) in California, as found on the most recent calendar year's tax returns.
- calrecycle.ca.gov: exemptionsexclusions retrieved
Original wording: Small producers with gross annual sales of less than $1 million may apply to be exempt from most of the law’s reporting and fee requirements.
Original wording: To apply, first register in CalRecycle’s reporting system, known as PEPRS, as a Packaging EPR producer. Then fill out the small producer exemption application.
Original wording: Achieve 65% recycling rates from 2024 to 2026, and 70% in 2027 and after
- www2.calrecycle.ca.gov: 131538 retrieved
Original wording: Beverage containers subject to the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act (Division 12.1 (commencing with Section 14500)).
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov: codes displaySection.xhtml (faces) retrieved
Original wording: an administrative civil penalty not to exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per day per violation
- 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
- Bank of Canada, FXAUSDCAD (annual average 2025) retrieved
- circularactionalliance.org: CA 2026 Early Fee Schedule retrieved
Original wording: 2026 California Early Fee Schedule Fees for Program Year 2026
Original wording: Paper/Fiber $0.004 /lb
Original wording: Plastic - Flexible $0.025 /lb
Original wording: Glass and Ceramics $0.003 /lb
Original wording: Metal $0.008 /lb
- 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.