Colorado vs Nova Scotia EPR: Rules Compared
Last verified
Colorado 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 $5,000,000 in Colorado. Colorado has the lower weight floor, 907.2 kg against 1 tonne in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia publishes the higher per-kilogram fee in 5 of 5 shared material classes.
Colorado and Nova Scotia side by side
4 of 9 rows have a verified figure on each side of Colorado 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 | Colorado | Nova Scotia | Stricter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration duty | Required | not yet published | Not comparable |
| Producer organisation | more than one producer responsibility organisation | one producer responsibility organisation | Not comparable |
| Lowest revenue exemption | $5,000,000 | CA$1,000,000 | Nova Scotia |
| Lowest weight exemption | 907.2 kg | 1 tonne | Colorado |
| First annual report date | not yet published | April 30 | Not comparable |
| Published penalties | 3 published | not yet published | Not comparable |
| Report file | csv | csv | Not comparable |
| Paper fee, cheapest matched rate | 9.0 cents per pound | 75 cents per kilogram | Nova Scotia |
| Plastic fee, cheapest matched rate | 62.0 cents per pound | 217 cents per kilogram | Nova Scotia |
The lowest revenue exemption is $5,000,000 in Colorado and CA$1,000,000 in Nova Scotia ($715,410 at the Bank of Canada 2025 annual average rate). Nova Scotia therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in Colorado but still in scope in Nova Scotia.
The lowest weight exemption is 907.2 kg of packaging in Colorado and 1 tonne in Nova Scotia, about 1.1 times as much in Nova Scotia as in Colorado. A seller whose packaging falls between the two lines is exempt in Nova Scotia but counted in Colorado.
Across 5 shared material classes, Nova Scotia publishes the higher cheapest per-kilogram fee in 5, and Colorado 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 Colorado and Nova Scotia
Who collects and who the producer files with, in Colorado and then Nova Scotia.
| Aspect | Colorado | Nova Scotia |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | Colorado Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling Act, C.R.S. 25-17-701 et seq. (HB22-1355) | Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act, Part IX (packaging and paper EPR regulations) |
| Regulator | Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Solid Waste and Materials Management Program | Resource Recovery Fund Board (Divert NS), as Administrator |
| Producers obligated | Yes | Yes |
| Registration | Required, Circular Action Alliance producer portal | not yet published |
| Producer organisation | more than one producer responsibility organisation: Circular Action Alliance, Interchange 360 (automotive lubricant packaging, individual programme); membership required | one producer responsibility organisation: Circular Materials; membership optional |
| Transfer of responsibility | not yet published | Allowed |
| Revenue counted as | realised gross total revenue, USD, prior calendar year | gross revenue inside the jurisdiction, CAD, year |
| Who counts as the producer | other: first distributor; primary: manufacturer or brand owner, brand licensee, importer; shipping: packer and shipper | primary: brand owner, importer, seller; secondary: brand owner, importer, seller; tertiary: brand owner, importer, seller |
The two programmes are organised differently. Colorado uses more than one producer responsibility organisation; Nova Scotia uses one producer responsibility organisation. For a seller in both, that usually means two different counterparties, two different sign-up routes and two different sets of terms to read before the first report is due.
What Colorado 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 Colorado or Nova Scotia has no verified entry for it in the dataset.
| Aspect | Colorado | Nova Scotia |
|---|---|---|
| Materials covered | packaging material, paper products, food serviceware | paper, plastic, metal, glass, printed paper, packaging |
| Product classes covered | packaging, paper, food serviceware | packaging, paper products |
| Excluded from scope | packaging used solely in transportation to nonconsumers, packaging used solely in business to business sales | small producers |
| Sales channels addressed | physical retail, internet transaction | retail, online, distance sale |
| Producer duty: primary packaging | manufacturer_brand_owner; licensee; importer | brand_owner; importer; seller |
| Producer duty: shipping packaging | packer_shipper | not yet published |
| Producer duty: other packaging | first_distributor | not yet published |
| Reporting categories | 61, covered material type by material class | 33, material category |
| Exemption 1 | Exempt from Part 7: revenue under the dollar limit, under one ton of covered materials, state or local government, nonprofit, an agricultural employer with under $5 million in-state consumer sales of its own-brand farm products, a single licensed retail food establishment at a physical location, and builders, construction companies and contractors. | Small producers and societies (except educational) are exempt |
| Producer duty: secondary packaging | not yet published | brand_owner; importer; seller |
| Producer duty: tertiary packaging | not yet published | brand_owner; importer; seller |
Thresholds and exemptions in Colorado and Nova Scotia
Every verified threshold Colorado and Nova Scotia publish, as each states it.
| Place | Measure | Amount | Effect | Basis as published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | revenue | $5,000,000 | exempt below | realized gross total revenue, prior calendar year, excluding on-premises alcohol sales |
| Colorado | packaging tonnage | 1 short ton | exempt below | covered materials used for products sold or distributed in or into Colorado, prior calendar year |
| Colorado | packaging tonnage | 10 short tons | flat-fee band | covered materials supplied into Colorado |
| 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 |
Colorado exemption: Exempt from Part 7: revenue under the dollar limit, under one ton of covered materials, state or local government, nonprofit, an agricultural employer with under $5 million in-state consumer sales of its own-brand farm products, a single licensed retail food establishment at a physical location, and builders, construction companies and contractors. 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 $5,000,000 in Colorado and CA$1,000,000 in Nova Scotia ($715,410 at the Bank of Canada 2025 annual average rate). Nova Scotia therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in Colorado but still in scope in Nova Scotia.
The lowest weight exemption is 907.2 kg of packaging in Colorado and 1 tonne in Nova Scotia, about 1.1 times as much in Nova Scotia as in Colorado. A seller whose packaging falls between the two lines is exempt in Nova Scotia but counted in Colorado.
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 | Colorado (USD per kg) | Nova Scotia (CAD per kg) | Nova Scotia in USD, approx. | Higher fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 9.0 cents per pound | 75 cents per kilogram | $0.5366 | Nova Scotia |
| plastic | 62.0 cents per pound | 217 cents per kilogram | $1.5524 | Nova Scotia |
| glass | 5.0 cents per pound | 53 cents per kilogram | $0.3792 | Nova Scotia |
| aluminium | 5.0 cents per pound | 100 cents per kilogram | $0.7154 | Nova Scotia |
| steel | 11.0 cents per pound | 90 cents per kilogram | $0.6439 | Nova Scotia |
Scaling the cheapest published rate by weight shows what the gap between Colorado 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 | Colorado fee (USD) | Nova Scotia fee (CAD) | Nova Scotia in USD, approx. | Nova Scotia minus Colorado (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 1 | $0.20 | CA$0.75 | $0.54 | +$0.34 |
| paper and board | 10 | $1.98 | CA$7.50 | $5.37 | +$3.38 |
| paper and board | 100 | $19.84 | CA$75.00 | $53.66 | +$33.81 |
| paper and board | 1,000 | $198.42 | CA$750.00 | $536.56 | +$338.14 |
| paper and board | 10,000 | $1,984.16 | CA$7,500.00 | $5,365.57 | +$3,381.41 |
| paper and board | 100,000 | $19,841.60 | CA$75,000.00 | $53,655.74 | +$33,814.14 |
| plastic | 1 | $1.37 | CA$2.17 | $1.55 | +$0.19 |
| plastic | 10 | $13.67 | CA$21.70 | $15.52 | +$1.86 |
| plastic | 100 | $136.69 | CA$217.00 | $155.24 | +$18.56 |
| plastic | 1,000 | $1,366.87 | CA$2,170.00 | $1,552.44 | +$185.57 |
| plastic | 10,000 | $13,668.66 | CA$21,700.00 | $15,524.40 | +$1,855.74 |
| plastic | 100,000 | $136,686.60 | CA$217,000.00 | $155,243.95 | +$18,557.35 |
| glass | 1 | $0.11 | CA$0.53 | $0.38 | +$0.27 |
| glass | 10 | $1.10 | CA$5.30 | $3.79 | +$2.69 |
| glass | 100 | $11.02 | CA$53.00 | $37.92 | +$26.89 |
| glass | 1,000 | $110.23 | CA$530.00 | $379.17 | +$268.94 |
| glass | 10,000 | $1,102.31 | CA$5,300.00 | $3,791.67 | +$2,689.36 |
| glass | 100,000 | $11,023.11 | CA$53,000.00 | $37,916.73 | +$26,893.61 |
| aluminium | 1 | $0.11 | CA$1.00 | $0.72 | +$0.61 |
| aluminium | 10 | $1.10 | CA$10.00 | $7.15 | +$6.05 |
| aluminium | 100 | $11.02 | CA$100.00 | $71.54 | +$60.52 |
| aluminium | 1,000 | $110.23 | CA$1,000.00 | $715.41 | +$605.18 |
| aluminium | 10,000 | $1,102.31 | CA$10,000.00 | $7,154.10 | +$6,051.79 |
| aluminium | 100,000 | $11,023.11 | CA$100,000.00 | $71,540.99 | +$60,517.88 |
| steel | 1 | $0.24 | CA$0.90 | $0.64 | +$0.40 |
| steel | 10 | $2.43 | CA$9.00 | $6.44 | +$4.01 |
| steel | 100 | $24.25 | CA$90.00 | $64.39 | +$40.14 |
| steel | 1,000 | $242.51 | CA$900.00 | $643.87 | +$401.36 |
| steel | 10,000 | $2,425.08 | CA$9,000.00 | $6,438.69 | +$4,013.60 |
| steel | 100,000 | $24,250.85 | CA$90,000.00 | $64,386.89 | +$40,136.04 |
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.
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.
Colorado: the 2027 fee schedule of Circular Action Alliance (Colorado PRO), effective January 1, 2027, is the source of the per-kilogram rates used on this page.
Colorado 2027: the category “Kraft Paper” is published at 9.0 cents per pound.
Colorado 2027: the category “HDPE (#2)/LDPE (#4) Flexible and Film Items” is published at 62.0 cents per pound.
Colorado 2027: the category “Glass Bottles and Jars & Other Containers” is published at 5.0 cents per pound.
Colorado 2027: the category “Aluminum Containers” is published at 5.0 cents per pound.
Colorado 2027: the category “Steel Containers” is published at 11.0 cents per pound.
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 Colorado and Nova Scotia.
Deadlines in Colorado and Nova Scotia
Each verified date, with the period it covers when one is given.
| Place | Kind | Date | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | payment | January 1, 2026 | program year 2026 |
| Colorado | other | January 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 |
Penalties in Colorado and Nova Scotia
What each side has published; a side without an amount says so.
Colorado penalty for First violation of Part 7 by a producer or producer responsibility organization: up to $5,000 for the first day, then up to $1,500 per day the violation continues.
Colorado penalty for Second violation within twelve months after a prior violation: up to $10,000 for the first day, then up to $3,000 per day the violation continues.
Colorado penalty for Third or later violation within twelve months after two or more prior violations: up to $20,000 for the first day, then up to $6,000 per day the violation continues.
Report formats in Colorado and Nova Scotia
How the report file for Colorado compares with the one for Nova Scotia.
| Aspect | Colorado | Nova Scotia |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Colorado producer supply report by material category 2026-09-29 (built from CAA Colorado 2026 dues schedule) | Nova Scotia producer annual report Fee-year categories, reviewed 2026-09-29 |
| Recipient | Circular Action Alliance (Colorado PRO) | Resource Recovery Fund Board (Divert NS) / Circular Materials |
| How it is submitted | CAA producer portal. The customer signs in and submits. | 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 | 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, Colorado or Nova Scotia
Check the exemption thresholds before anything else. Nova Scotia reaches smaller sellers than Colorado, so a seller that is exempt in Colorado may still have to register in Nova Scotia.
Questions about comparing these two programmes
Is Colorado or Nova Scotia stricter on packaging EPR?
Nova Scotia exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, CA$1,000,000 against $5,000,000 in Colorado. Colorado has the lower weight floor, 907.2 kg against 1 tonne in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia publishes the higher per-kilogram fee in 5 of 5 shared material classes.
Do I register in both Colorado and Nova Scotia?
Colorado requires producers to register. Nova Scotia has not yet published its registration duty.
How do the fees per kilogram compare in Colorado and Nova Scotia?
Across 5 shared material classes, Nova Scotia publishes the higher cheapest per-kilogram fee in 5, and Colorado 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, Colorado or Nova Scotia?
The dataset does not hold a verified annual report date on both sides, so this page does not say which comes first.
How these figures are made
Sources
- cdphe.colorado.gov: producer responsibility program retrieved
Original wording: In 2022, Governor Polis signed the Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling Act into law
Original wording: CDPHE appointed Circular Action Alliance as the designated Producer Responsibility Organization in May 2023.
Original wording: a producer cannot sell or distribute products that use covered materials in Colorado unless they participate in the Producer Responsibility Program
Original wording: All producers of paper products and packaging materials should register with Circular Action Alliance and submit a supply report.
Original wording: Interchange 360 manages the recycling of automotive lubricant packaging, such as motor oil and antifreeze.
- colorado.public.law: crs 25 17 713 retrieved
Original wording: in realized gross total revenue, not including on-premises alcohol sales, during the prior calendar year
Original wording: A person with less than five million dollars in realized gross total revenue, not including on-premises alcohol sales, during the prior calendar year
Original wording: has used less than one ton of covered materials for products sold or distributed within or into the state
Original wording: A producer is exempt from the requirements of this part 7 if the producer is
- colorado.public.law: crs 25 17 703 retrieved
Original wording: the person that is the licensee of a brand or trademark under which a packaged item is sold or distributed in the state
Original wording: means any material, regardless of recyclability, that is intended for single or short-term use
- circularactionalliance.org: CO 2026 Dues Schedule Public retrieved
Original wording: Producers who supply 10 tons or less of covered materials into the state are eligible to pay flat dues according to the following schedule
Original wording: Material Class Covered Material Type Base Dues Detriments Malus Not on MRL Malus High Recycling Rates Bonus Final Dues
- colorado.public.law: crs 25 17 709 retrieved
Original wording: no later than January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter by a date determined by the organization
Original wording: By January 1, 2026, and each year thereafter, the executive director shall develop an eco-modulation bonus schedule
- leg.colorado.gov: 2022a 1355 signed retrieved
Original wording: FIRST VIOLATION, AN INITIAL PENALTY OF FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST DAY OF EACH VIOLATION AND ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER DAY
- 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.
- circularmaterials.ca: Circular Materials Report to Producers 2025 retrieved
Original wording: Newspapers 82
- Bank of Canada, FXAUSDCAD (annual average 2025) retrieved
- circularactionalliance.org: CO 2027DuesSchedule 100126 retrieved
Original wording: 2027 Colorado Producer Dues Schedule Dues for Program Year 2027
Original wording: Kraft Paper MRL $0.09 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.09
Original wording: HDPE (#2)/LDPE (#4) Flexible and Film Items AML $0.62 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.62
Original wording: Glass Bottles and Jars & Other Containers MRL $0.05 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.05
Original wording: Aluminum Containers MRL $0.05 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.05
Original wording: Steel Containers MRL $0.12 $0.00 $0.00 -$0.01 $0.11
- knowledge.werecycle.ca: Report to Producers 2026 OCT15 retrieved
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.