Nova Scotia vs Québec EPR: Rules Compared
Last verified
Nova Scotia and Québec both run packaging EPR, but the rules differ. Nova Scotia exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, CA$1,000,000 against CA$1,300,000 in Québec. Both set the lowest weight exemption at 1 tonne. Nova Scotia asks for its first annual report earlier, on April 30 against May 31 in Québec.
Nova Scotia and Québec side by side
5 of 9 rows have a verified figure on each side of Nova Scotia and Québec; 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 | Nova Scotia | Québec | Stricter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration duty | not yet published | Required | Not comparable |
| Producer organisation | one producer responsibility organisation | one producer responsibility organisation | Not comparable |
| Lowest revenue exemption | CA$1,000,000 | CA$1,300,000 | Nova Scotia |
| Lowest weight exemption | 1 tonne | 1 tonne | Same |
| First annual report date | April 30 | May 31 | Nova Scotia |
| Published penalties | not yet published | not yet published | Not comparable |
| Report file | csv | csv | Not comparable |
| Paper fee, cheapest matched rate | 75 cents per kilogram | 806.84 CAD/tonne | Québec |
| Plastic fee, cheapest matched rate | 217 cents per kilogram | 1,882.29 CAD/tonne | Nova Scotia |
The lowest revenue exemption is CA$1,000,000 in Nova Scotia and CA$1,300,000 in Québec. Nova Scotia therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in Québec but still in scope in Nova Scotia.
The lowest weight exemption is the same on both sides: 1 tonne of packaging.
The earliest annual report date is April 30 in Nova Scotia and May 31 in Québec, 31 days apart. Nova Scotia leaves less time to prepare, so its data has to be ready first.
Across 5 shared material classes, Nova Scotia publishes the higher cheapest per-kilogram fee in 3, and Québec in 2. 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 Nova Scotia and Québec
Who collects and who the producer files with, in Nova Scotia and then Québec.
| Aspect | Nova Scotia | Québec |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act, Part IX (packaging and paper EPR regulations) | Regulation respecting a system of selective collection of certain residual materials (Q-2, r. 46.01) |
| Regulator | Resource Recovery Fund Board (Divert NS), as Administrator | not yet published |
| Producers obligated | Yes | Yes |
| Registration | not yet published | Required, ÉEQ declaration portal |
| Producer organisation | one producer responsibility organisation: Circular Materials; membership optional | one producer responsibility organisation: Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ); membership required |
| Transfer of responsibility | Allowed | not yet published |
| Revenue counted as | gross revenue inside the jurisdiction, CAD, year | gross revenue inside the jurisdiction, CAD, year |
| Who counts as the producer | primary: brand owner, importer, seller; secondary: brand owner, importer, seller; tertiary: brand owner, importer, seller | other: brand owner, first distributor, online marketplace, seller; primary: brand owner, first distributor, online marketplace, seller; secondary: brand owner, first distributor, online marketplace, seller; service: brand owner, first distributor, online marketplace, seller; shipping: brand owner, first distributor, online marketplace, seller; tertiary: brand owner, first distributor, online marketplace, seller |
Both programmes organise producer responsibility the same way: one producer responsibility organisation. The practical differences between Nova Scotia and Québec therefore sit in thresholds, fees, dates and report formats rather than in whom a producer deals with.
What Nova Scotia and Québec cover, side by side
Each row below is one published feature of the two programmes; a cell reads “not yet published” when Nova Scotia or Québec has no verified entry for it in the dataset.
| Aspect | Nova Scotia | Québec |
|---|---|---|
| Materials covered | paper, plastic, metal, glass, printed paper, packaging | paper, plastic, metal, glass, printed paper, packaging |
| Product classes covered | packaging, paper products | containers, packaging, printed matter |
| Excluded from scope | small producers | not yet published |
| Sales channels addressed | retail, online, distance sale | retail, online, distance sale |
| Producer duty: primary packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller | brand_owner; first_distributor; marketplace; seller |
| Producer duty: secondary packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller | brand_owner; first_distributor; marketplace; seller |
| Producer duty: tertiary packaging | brand_owner; importer; seller | brand_owner; first_distributor; marketplace; seller |
| Reporting categories | 33, material category | 21, material category |
| Exemption 1 | Small producers and societies (except educational) are exempt | Under 1 tonne AND sales under 1.3 million: no report |
| Producer duty: shipping packaging | not yet published | brand_owner; first_distributor; marketplace; seller |
| Producer duty: service packaging | not yet published | brand_owner; first_distributor; marketplace; seller |
| Producer duty: other packaging | not yet published | brand_owner; first_distributor; marketplace; seller |
| Labelling | not yet published | Required: Charter of the French Language: s. 51: every inscription on the product, its container or wrapping, and on documents supplied with it (directions for use, warranty certificates) must be in French; a translation may accompany it but never be more prominent than the French.; s. 51.1 and Regulation C-11, r. 9, s. 7.1 (from June 1, 2025): a registered trademark with no French version on the Canadian register may stay in another language, but any generic or descriptive words in it must appear in French on the product or on a medium permanently attached to it. |
Thresholds and exemptions in Nova Scotia and Québec
Every verified threshold Nova Scotia and Québec publish, as each states it.
| Place | Measure | Amount | Effect | Basis as published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Québec | packaging tonnage | 1 tonne | exempt below | targeted materials |
| Québec | packaging tonnage | 1 tonne | exempt below | targeted materials placed on the market |
| Québec | revenue | CA$1,300,000 | exempt below | annual sales (the fee schedule page says 1M or less, 1.3M as of 2024; the step-by-step reporting page says less than 1.3M) |
Nova Scotia exemption: Small producers and societies (except educational) are exempt It does not have to be applied for.
Québec exemption: Under 1 tonne AND sales under 1.3 million: no report 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 Nova Scotia and CA$1,300,000 in Québec. Nova Scotia therefore reaches smaller sellers: a business with revenue between the two lines is exempt in Québec but still in scope in Nova Scotia.
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 | Nova Scotia (CAD per kg) | Québec (CAD per kg) | Higher fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 75 cents per kilogram | 806.84 CAD/tonne | Québec |
| plastic | 217 cents per kilogram | 1,882.29 CAD/tonne | Nova Scotia |
| glass | 53 cents per kilogram | 654.24 CAD/tonne | Québec |
| aluminium | 100 cents per kilogram | 476.19 CAD/tonne | Nova Scotia |
| steel | 90 cents per kilogram | 703.17 CAD/tonne | Nova Scotia |
Scaling the cheapest published rate by weight shows what the gap between Nova Scotia and Québec amounts to for a given tonnage of one material. The amounts are the rate times the weight, nothing added.
| Material class | Kilograms | Nova Scotia fee (CAD) | Québec fee (CAD) | Québec minus Nova Scotia (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 1 | CA$0.75 | CA$0.81 | +CA$0.06 |
| paper and board | 10 | CA$7.50 | CA$8.07 | +CA$0.57 |
| paper and board | 100 | CA$75.00 | CA$80.68 | +CA$5.68 |
| paper and board | 1,000 | CA$750.00 | CA$806.84 | +CA$56.84 |
| paper and board | 10,000 | CA$7,500.00 | CA$8,068.40 | +CA$568.40 |
| paper and board | 100,000 | CA$75,000.00 | CA$80,684.00 | +CA$5,684.00 |
| plastic | 1 | CA$2.17 | CA$1.88 | -CA$0.29 |
| plastic | 10 | CA$21.70 | CA$18.82 | -CA$2.88 |
| plastic | 100 | CA$217.00 | CA$188.23 | -CA$28.77 |
| plastic | 1,000 | CA$2,170.00 | CA$1,882.29 | -CA$287.71 |
| plastic | 10,000 | CA$21,700.00 | CA$18,822.90 | -CA$2,877.10 |
| plastic | 100,000 | CA$217,000.00 | CA$188,229.00 | -CA$28,771.00 |
| glass | 1 | CA$0.53 | CA$0.65 | +CA$0.12 |
| glass | 10 | CA$5.30 | CA$6.54 | +CA$1.24 |
| glass | 100 | CA$53.00 | CA$65.42 | +CA$12.42 |
| glass | 1,000 | CA$530.00 | CA$654.24 | +CA$124.24 |
| glass | 10,000 | CA$5,300.00 | CA$6,542.40 | +CA$1,242.40 |
| glass | 100,000 | CA$53,000.00 | CA$65,424.00 | +CA$12,424.00 |
| aluminium | 1 | CA$1.00 | CA$0.48 | -CA$0.52 |
| aluminium | 10 | CA$10.00 | CA$4.76 | -CA$5.24 |
| aluminium | 100 | CA$100.00 | CA$47.62 | -CA$52.38 |
| aluminium | 1,000 | CA$1,000.00 | CA$476.19 | -CA$523.81 |
| aluminium | 10,000 | CA$10,000.00 | CA$4,761.90 | -CA$5,238.10 |
| aluminium | 100,000 | CA$100,000.00 | CA$47,619.00 | -CA$52,381.00 |
| steel | 1 | CA$0.90 | CA$0.70 | -CA$0.20 |
| steel | 10 | CA$9.00 | CA$7.03 | -CA$1.97 |
| steel | 100 | CA$90.00 | CA$70.32 | -CA$19.68 |
| steel | 1,000 | CA$900.00 | CA$703.17 | -CA$196.83 |
| steel | 10,000 | CA$9,000.00 | CA$7,031.70 | -CA$1,968.30 |
| steel | 100,000 | CA$90,000.00 | CA$70,317.00 | -CA$19,683.00 |
Both schedules are in CAD, so the figures compare directly.
Québec: the 2027 fee schedule of Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ), effective January 1, 2027, is the source of the per-kilogram rates used on this page.
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.
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.
Québec 2027: the category “Boxboard, other paper packaging and alternative fibres” is published at 806.84 CAD/tonne.
Québec 2027: the category “HDPE and LDPE films or shopping bags” is published at 1,882.29 CAD/tonne.
Québec 2027: the category “Clear glass” is published at 654.24 CAD/tonne.
Québec 2027: the category “Aluminum” is published at 476.19 CAD/tonne.
Québec 2027: the category “Steel” is published at 703.17 CAD/tonne.
Real packs usually land in a dearer category, so use the calculator for Nova Scotia and Québec.
Deadlines in Nova Scotia and Québec
Each verified date, with the period it covers when one is given.
| Place | Kind | Date | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Québec | report | May 31, 2026 | 2026 report (supply data used for the 2027 producer financial participation, PFP 2027) |
| Québec | other | June 30, 2026 | 2026 report |
| Québec | payment | January 31, 2027 | PFP 2027 (contribution based on the 2026 report), installment 1 of 4 |
| Québec | payment | April 30, 2027 | PFP 2027 (contribution based on the 2026 report), installment 2 of 4 |
| Québec | payment | July 31, 2027 | PFP 2027 (contribution based on the 2026 report), installment 3 of 4 |
| Québec | payment | October 31, 2027 | PFP 2027 (contribution based on the 2026 report), installment 4 of 4 |
| Québec | other | May 31, 2028 | 2026 report |
The earliest annual report date is April 30 in Nova Scotia and May 31 in Québec, 31 days apart. Nova Scotia leaves less time to prepare, so its data has to be ready first.
Penalties in Nova Scotia and Québec
What each side has published; a side without an amount says so.
Report formats in Nova Scotia and Québec
How the report file for Nova Scotia compares with the one for Québec.
| Aspect | Nova Scotia | Québec |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Nova Scotia producer annual report Fee-year categories, reviewed 2026-09-29 | ÉEQ annual declaration Fee-year categories, reviewed 2026-09-29 |
| Recipient | Resource Recovery Fund Board (Divert NS) / Circular Materials | Éco Entreprises Québec |
| How it is submitted | WeRecycle Portal | declaration.eeq.ca |
| 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 | tonne |
| 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, Nova Scotia or Québec
Plan around the earlier report date first. Nova Scotia asks for its first annual report on April 30, before Québec, so its data has to be ready first.
Check the exemption thresholds before anything else. Nova Scotia reaches smaller sellers than Québec, so a seller that is exempt in Québec may still have to register in Nova Scotia.
Questions about comparing these two programmes
Is Nova Scotia or Québec stricter on packaging EPR?
Nova Scotia exempts only producers below the lower revenue floor, CA$1,000,000 against CA$1,300,000 in Québec. Both set the lowest weight exemption at 1 tonne. Nova Scotia asks for its first annual report earlier, on April 30 against May 31 in Québec. Nova Scotia publishes the higher per-kilogram fee in 3 of 5 shared material classes.
Do I register in both Nova Scotia and Québec?
Nova Scotia has not yet published its registration duty. Québec requires producers to register.
How do the fees per kilogram compare in Nova Scotia and Québec?
Across 5 shared material classes, Nova Scotia publishes the higher cheapest per-kilogram fee in 3, and Québec in 2. A higher fee is not the same as a stricter rule; it is simply a larger published number per kilogram.
Which deadline comes first, Nova Scotia or Québec?
The earliest annual report date is April 30 in Nova Scotia and May 31 in Québec, 31 days apart. Nova Scotia leaves less time to prepare, so its data has to be ready first.
How these figures are made
Sources
- 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
- eeq.ca retrieved
Original wording: Regulation respecting a system of selective collection of certain residual materials
- eeq.ca: preparing and submitting your report step by step retrieved
Original wording: You run an online store, with or without a place of business in Quebec.
Original wording: annual sales of less than $1.3 million.
Original wording: your business generates less than one metric ton of targeted materials and has annual sales of less than $1.3 million.
- legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca: Q 2, r. 46.01 retrieved
Original wording: incombent à la personne domiciliée ou qui a un établissement au Québec qui y agit à titre de premier fournisseur, à l’exclusion du fabricant
- eeq.ca: fee schedule to help with your report retrieved
Original wording: Are a retailer with a single outlet with a floor space of less than 929 m²
Original wording: Newspapers
Original wording: 2027 Producer financial participation (PFP)
Original wording: Boxboard and other paper packaging Alternative fibers $806.84
Original wording: HDPE and LDPE plastic films or shopping bags $1,882.29
Original wording: Clear glass $654.24
Original wording: Containers and packaging, including aerosol containers $476.19
Original wording: Containers, including aerosol containers $703.17
- eeq.ca: important dates for your report retrieved
Original wording: Reporting deadline: May 31, 2026
Original wording: Deadline to submit a Bonus application: June 30, 2026
- eeq.ca: les dates a retenir pour votre declaration retrieved
Original wording: Date limite pour payer chacun des quatre versements de PFP 2027 : 31 janvier 2027, 30 avril 2027, 31 juillet 2027, 31 octobre 2027
Original wording: Date limite pour formuler une demande de modifications : 31 mai 2028
- legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca: C 11 retrieved
Original wording: if a generic term or a description of the product is included in the trademark, it must appear in French on the product
- 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.