New Brunswick vs Saskatchewan EPR: Rules Compared
Last verified
New Brunswick 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$2,000,000 in New Brunswick. Both set the lowest weight exemption at 1 tonne. Both require producers to register. Both programmes set their first annual report for May 31.
New Brunswick and Saskatchewan side by side
6 of 9 rows have a verified figure on each side of New Brunswick 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 | New Brunswick | Saskatchewan | Stricter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration duty | Required | Required | Same |
| Producer organisation | one producer responsibility organisation | one producer responsibility organisation | Not comparable |
| Lowest revenue exemption | CA$2,000,000 | CA$1,000,000 | Saskatchewan |
| Lowest weight exemption | 1 tonne | 1 tonne | Same |
| First annual report date | May 31 | May 31 | Same |
| Published penalties | not yet published | not yet published | Not comparable |
| Report file | csv | csv | Not comparable |
| Paper fee, cheapest matched rate | 68 cents per kilogram | 31 cents per kilogram | New Brunswick |
| Plastic fee, cheapest matched rate | 195 cents per kilogram | 113 cents per kilogram | New Brunswick |
The lowest revenue exemption is CA$2,000,000 in New Brunswick and CA$1,000,000 in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in New Brunswick but still in scope in Saskatchewan.
The lowest weight exemption is the same on both sides: 1 tonne of packaging.
Both programmes require a producer to register, in New Brunswick and in Saskatchewan.
The first annual report date is the same on both sides, May 31.
Across 5 shared material classes, New Brunswick 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 New Brunswick and Saskatchewan
Who collects and who the producer files with, in New Brunswick and then Saskatchewan.
| Aspect | New Brunswick | Saskatchewan |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | Designated Materials Regulation, N.B. Reg. 2024-37 (Clean Environment Act) | Household Packaging and Paper Stewardship Program Regulations, 2023 |
| Regulator | Recycle New Brunswick (stewardship board) | not yet published |
| Producers obligated | Yes | Yes |
| Registration | Required, Recycle New Brunswick (stewardship board) | Required, SK Recycles producer portal |
| Producer organisation | one producer responsibility organisation: Circular Materials; membership required | one producer responsibility organisation: SK Recycles; membership required |
| Transfer of responsibility | Allowed | not yet published |
| Revenue counted as | gross revenue inside the jurisdiction, CAD, year | not yet published |
| Who counts as the producer | other: brand owner, importer, seller, online marketplace; primary: brand owner, importer, seller, online marketplace; secondary: brand owner, importer, seller, online marketplace; service: brand owner, importer, seller, online marketplace; shipping: brand owner, importer, seller, online marketplace; tertiary: brand owner, importer, seller, online marketplace | 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 New Brunswick and Saskatchewan therefore sit in thresholds, fees, dates and report formats rather than in whom a producer deals with.
What New Brunswick and Saskatchewan cover, side by side
Each row below is one published feature of the two programmes; a cell reads “not yet published” when New Brunswick or Saskatchewan has no verified entry for it in the dataset.
| Aspect | New Brunswick | Saskatchewan |
|---|---|---|
| Materials covered | paper, plastic, metal, glass, printed paper, packaging | not yet published |
| Product classes covered | packaging, paper products | not yet published |
| Excluded from scope | small producers | not yet published |
| Sales channels addressed | retail, online, distance sale | not yet published |
| Producer duty: primary packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller; marketplace | brand_owner; importer; seller |
| Producer duty: secondary packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller; marketplace | brand_owner; importer; seller |
| Producer duty: tertiary packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller; marketplace | brand_owner; importer; seller |
| Producer duty: shipping packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller; marketplace | not yet published |
| Producer duty: service packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller; marketplace | not yet published |
| Producer duty: other packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller; marketplace | not yet published |
| Reporting categories | 36, material category | 19, material category |
| Exemption 1 | Under CAD 2,000,000 NB revenue, under one tonne, or a registered charity | Under 1,000 kg to Saskatchewan residents |
| Exemption 2 | not yet published | Businesses under CAD 1 million in annual revenue |
Thresholds and exemptions in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan
Every verified threshold New Brunswick and Saskatchewan publish, as each states it.
| Place | Measure | Amount | Effect | Basis as published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Brunswick | revenue | CA$2,000,000 | exempt below | gross annual New Brunswick revenue |
| New Brunswick | packaging tonnage | 1 tonne | exempt below | packaging and paper per 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 |
New Brunswick exemption: Under CAD 2,000,000 NB revenue, under one tonne, or a registered charity 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$2,000,000 in New Brunswick and CA$1,000,000 in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in New Brunswick but still in scope in Saskatchewan.
The lowest weight exemption is the same on both sides: 1 tonne of packaging.
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 | New Brunswick (CAD per kg) | Saskatchewan (CAD per kg) | Higher fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 68 cents per kilogram | 31 cents per kilogram | New Brunswick |
| plastic | 195 cents per kilogram | 113 cents per kilogram | New Brunswick |
| glass | 47 cents per kilogram | 30 cents per kilogram | New Brunswick |
| aluminium | 100 cents per kilogram | 86 cents per kilogram | New Brunswick |
| steel | 83 cents per kilogram | 46 cents per kilogram | New Brunswick |
Scaling the cheapest published rate by weight shows what the gap between New Brunswick and Saskatchewan amounts to for a given tonnage of one material. The amounts are the rate times the weight, nothing added.
| Material class | Kilograms | New Brunswick fee (CAD) | Saskatchewan fee (CAD) | Saskatchewan minus New Brunswick (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 1 | CA$0.68 | CA$0.31 | -CA$0.37 |
| paper and board | 10 | CA$6.80 | CA$3.10 | -CA$3.70 |
| paper and board | 100 | CA$68.00 | CA$31.00 | -CA$37.00 |
| paper and board | 1,000 | CA$680.00 | CA$310.00 | -CA$370.00 |
| paper and board | 10,000 | CA$6,800.00 | CA$3,100.00 | -CA$3,700.00 |
| paper and board | 100,000 | CA$68,000.00 | CA$31,000.00 | -CA$37,000.00 |
| plastic | 1 | CA$1.95 | CA$1.13 | -CA$0.82 |
| plastic | 10 | CA$19.50 | CA$11.30 | -CA$8.20 |
| plastic | 100 | CA$195.00 | CA$113.00 | -CA$82.00 |
| plastic | 1,000 | CA$1,950.00 | CA$1,130.00 | -CA$820.00 |
| plastic | 10,000 | CA$19,500.00 | CA$11,300.00 | -CA$8,200.00 |
| plastic | 100,000 | CA$195,000.00 | CA$113,000.00 | -CA$82,000.00 |
| glass | 1 | CA$0.47 | CA$0.30 | -CA$0.17 |
| glass | 10 | CA$4.70 | CA$3.00 | -CA$1.70 |
| glass | 100 | CA$47.00 | CA$30.00 | -CA$17.00 |
| glass | 1,000 | CA$470.00 | CA$300.00 | -CA$170.00 |
| glass | 10,000 | CA$4,700.00 | CA$3,000.00 | -CA$1,700.00 |
| glass | 100,000 | CA$47,000.00 | CA$30,000.00 | -CA$17,000.00 |
| aluminium | 1 | CA$1.00 | CA$0.86 | -CA$0.14 |
| aluminium | 10 | CA$10.00 | CA$8.60 | -CA$1.40 |
| aluminium | 100 | CA$100.00 | CA$86.00 | -CA$14.00 |
| aluminium | 1,000 | CA$1,000.00 | CA$860.00 | -CA$140.00 |
| aluminium | 10,000 | CA$10,000.00 | CA$8,600.00 | -CA$1,400.00 |
| aluminium | 100,000 | CA$100,000.00 | CA$86,000.00 | -CA$14,000.00 |
| steel | 1 | CA$0.83 | CA$0.46 | -CA$0.37 |
| steel | 10 | CA$8.30 | CA$4.60 | -CA$3.70 |
| steel | 100 | CA$83.00 | CA$46.00 | -CA$37.00 |
| steel | 1,000 | CA$830.00 | CA$460.00 | -CA$370.00 |
| steel | 10,000 | CA$8,300.00 | CA$4,600.00 | -CA$3,700.00 |
| steel | 100,000 | CA$83,000.00 | CA$46,000.00 | -CA$37,000.00 |
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.
New Brunswick: the 2027 fee schedule of Circular Materials New Brunswick (Recycle NB), effective January 1, 2027, is the source of the per-kilogram rates used on this page.
New Brunswick 2027: the category “Boxboard and Other Paper Packaging” is published at 68 cents per kilogram.
New Brunswick 2027: the category “LDPE/HDPE Film” is published at 195 cents per kilogram.
New Brunswick 2027: the category “Clear Glass” is published at 47 cents per kilogram.
New Brunswick 2027: the category “Aluminum Food Containers” is published at 100 cents per kilogram.
New Brunswick 2027: the category “Other Steel Containers and Packaging” is published at 83 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 New Brunswick and Saskatchewan.
Deadlines in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan
Each verified date, with the period it covers when one is given.
| Place | Kind | Date | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Brunswick | report | May 31 | the previous calendar year |
| New Brunswick | registration | June 30, 2025 | not yet published |
| New Brunswick | plan | June 30, 2025 | 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 first annual report date is the same on both sides, May 31.
Penalties in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan
What each side has published; a side without an amount says so.
Report formats in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan
How the report file for New Brunswick compares with the one for Saskatchewan.
| Aspect | New Brunswick | Saskatchewan |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | New Brunswick producer annual report Fee-year categories, reviewed 2026-09-29 | SK Recycles annual report Fee-year categories, reviewed 2026-09-29 |
| Recipient | Recycle NB / Circular Materials | SK Recycles |
| How it is submitted | WeRecycle 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, New Brunswick or Saskatchewan
Check the exemption thresholds before anything else. Saskatchewan reaches smaller sellers than New Brunswick, so a seller that is exempt in New Brunswick may still have to register in Saskatchewan.
Questions about comparing these two programmes
Is New Brunswick or Saskatchewan stricter on packaging EPR?
Saskatchewan exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, CA$1,000,000 against CA$2,000,000 in New Brunswick. Both set the lowest weight exemption at 1 tonne. Both require producers to register. Both programmes set their first annual report for May 31. New Brunswick publishes the higher per-kilogram fee in 5 of 5 shared material classes.
Do I register in both New Brunswick and Saskatchewan?
New Brunswick requires producers to register. Saskatchewan requires producers to register.
How do the fees per kilogram compare in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan?
Across 5 shared material classes, New Brunswick 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, New Brunswick or Saskatchewan?
The first annual report date is the same on both sides, May 31.
How these figures are made
Sources
- laws.gnb.ca: 2024 37 retrieved
Original wording: This Regulation may be cited as the Designated Materials Regulation – Clean Environment Act
Original wording: The stewardship board established by the Minister under section 22.1 of the Act, to be known as Recycle New Brunswick, is continued.
Original wording: the producer generates less than $2,000,000 in gross annual revenue in the Province;
Original wording: An application for registration shall be submitted on a form provided by the stewardship board
Original wording: On or before May 31 in each year, a producer shall submit an annual report to the stewardship board
Original wording: the brand holder of the designated material if the brand holder has a permanent establishment in Canada;
Original wording: the producer manufactures, distributes, sells or offers for sale less than one tonne of packaging and paper annually in the Province; or
Original wording: A producer who was not a brand owner shall submit an application for registration referred to in section 16 no later than June 30, 2025.
Original wording: a stewardship plan under this Regulation, including the performance measures and targets referred to in section 44 , no later than June 30, 2025.
- circularmaterials.ca: Circular Materials Report to Producers 2025 retrieved
Original wording: Newspapers 74 80 -7.5%
- 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 New Brunswick Fee Schedule (Cents/Kg)
Original wording: Boxboard and Other Paper Packaging 68 65 4.6%
Original wording: LDPE/HDPE Film 195 187 4.3%
Original wording: Clear Glass 47 46 2.2%
Original wording: Aluminum Food Containers 100 93 7.5 %
Original wording: Other Steel Containers and Packaging 83 82 1.2%
- 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.