Pouches EPR fees British Columbia: what a stand-up pouch costs per 1,000 packs, 2027
Last verified
In British Columbia, 1,000 stand-up pouches of the Medium (about 8 to 12 oz) size (12 g) carry an estimated packaging fee of CA$20.88 on the 2027 schedule. The range comes from the published rates of Recycle BC that fit each part of the pack. Instica estimates it; you confirm the weights, then sign and submit.
What this page estimates for a stand-up pouch in British Columbia
The stand-up pouch on this page is a flexible stand-up pouch of layered plastic film that holds food, supplements, pet treats or powders. It has one component, each matched to the published rates of the 2027 schedule of Recycle BC for British Columbia; weight times rate gives a fee per 1,000 packs in CAD. The figures are estimates built on starting weights.
What is in a stand-up pouch
The pouch is one flexible plastic component. A zip, spout or valve is part of the same weighed unit in the starting estimate.
Starting weights, an Instica estimate for a typical pack and not a measured weight: pouch (plastic film, 12 g).
- Pouch
- plastic film, 12 g (Instica starting estimate)
Worked example: 1,000 stand-up pouches in British Columbia
One stand-up pouch of the Medium (about 8 to 12 oz) size weighs 12 g in total. For each component the table gives its weight, the matched published rates, and the fee for 1,000 packs.
| Component | Weight each | Matched published rate | Fee per 1,000 packs | Fee per pack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pouch | 12 g | Plastic Film | CA$20.88 | CA$0.0209 |
British Columbia: 1,000 stand-up pouches of the Medium (about 8 to 12 oz) size are estimated at CA$20.88 in packaging fees.
Added together, the estimate for 1,000 packs is CA$20.88.
Divide by 1,000 for a single pack: about CA$0.0209.
What the fee tool returns for 1,000 stand-up pouches in British Columbia
Entered into the public fee tool for British Columbia (2027 schedule, effective January 1, 2027), 1,000 stand-up pouches give the figures below. The tool is the same engine that prices a report, so this page and the tool agree.
| Component | Category at the lowest rate | Weight | Fee | Category at the highest rate | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pouch | Plastic Film | 12 g | CA$20.88 | Plastic Film | CA$20.88 |
British Columbia: the fee tool returns CA$20.88 for 1,000 stand-up pouches of the Medium (about 8 to 12 oz) size (12 g each).
The tool total is CA$20.88.
| Size | Weight each | Total, lowest rates | Total, highest rates | Per pack, lowest | Per pack, highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packet (about 1 to 2 oz) | 4 g | CA$6.96 | CA$6.96 | CA$0.007 | CA$0.007 |
| Medium (about 8 to 12 oz) | 12 g | CA$20.88 | CA$20.88 | CA$0.0209 | CA$0.0209 |
| Large (about 2 lb) | 25 g | CA$43.50 | CA$43.50 | CA$0.0435 | CA$0.0435 |
Which published rates were matched in British Columbia
One published rate was matched to the pack in British Columbia from the 2027 schedule. Each is quoted from the programme’s own fee table; the page does not change the rate or round it.
Pouch, 12 g: one matched rate
| Category | Published rate | Per kilogram | Fee per 1,000 packs | Fee per pack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic Film | 174 cents per kilogram | CA$1.74 | CA$20.88 | CA$0.0209 |
British Columbia 2027: the category “Plastic Film” is published at 174 cents per kilogram.
How size changes the fee for a stand-up pouch
The weight of a stand-up pouch depends on its size. The table prices each of the 3 sizes with the same matched rates, so the only thing that changes between rows is the weight.
| Size | Weight each | Fee per 1,000 packs, lowest rates | Fee per 1,000 packs, highest rates | Per pack, lowest | Per pack, highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packet (about 1 to 2 oz) | 4 g | CA$6.96 | CA$6.96 | CA$0.007 | CA$0.007 |
| Medium (about 8 to 12 oz) | 12 g | CA$20.88 | CA$20.88 | CA$0.0209 | CA$0.0209 |
| Large (about 2 lb) | 25 g | CA$43.50 | CA$43.50 | CA$0.0435 | CA$0.0435 |
Each component of the stand-up pouch priced at every size, at the matched rates for British Columbia.
| Component | Packet (about 1 to 2 oz) | Medium (about 8 to 12 oz) | Large (about 2 lb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pouch | 4 g: CA$6.96 | 12 g: CA$20.88 | 25 g: CA$43.50 |
What if the stand-up pouch used another material?
Suppose the main component of the stand-up pouch, weighing 12 g, were made of another material. The table prices the same weight in each material class that British Columbia publishes a rate for, at the lowest published rate in that class.
| Material | Lowest published rate | Fee per 1,000 packs at that rate | Highest published rate | Fee per 1,000 packs at that rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | 81 cents per kilogram | CA$9.72 | 81 cents per kilogram | CA$9.72 |
| plastic | 174 cents per kilogram | CA$20.88 | 174 cents per kilogram | CA$20.88 |
| glass | 61 cents per kilogram | CA$7.32 | 61 cents per kilogram | CA$7.32 |
| aluminium | 35 cents per kilogram | CA$4.20 | 72 cents per kilogram | CA$8.64 |
| steel | 71 cents per kilogram | CA$8.52 | 71 cents per kilogram | CA$8.52 |
| Material | Category | Published rate | Fee per 1,000 packs | Fee per pack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| paper and board | Kraft Paper | 81 cents per kilogram | CA$9.72 | CA$0.0097 |
| glass | Clear Glass | 61 cents per kilogram | CA$7.32 | CA$0.0073 |
| glass | Coloured Glass | 61 cents per kilogram | CA$7.32 | CA$0.0073 |
| aluminium | Aluminum Food & Other Containers | 35 cents per kilogram | CA$4.20 | CA$0.0042 |
| aluminium | Other Aluminum Packaging | 72 cents per kilogram | CA$8.64 | CA$0.0086 |
| steel | Other Steel Packaging including Paint Cans | 71 cents per kilogram | CA$8.52 | CA$0.0085 |
A fee comparison only: another material changes weight and protection too.
What a larger run of stand-up pouches costs in British Columbia
Fees scale with the number of packs, because the schedule charges by mass. The table repeats the worked example for larger runs of the Medium (about 8 to 12 oz) stand-up pouch in British Columbia. Nothing else changes between rows: the same weights and the same matched rates apply.
| Packs | Total weight | Fee at the lowest rates | Fee at the highest rates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 1.2 kg | CA$2.09 | CA$2.09 |
| 500 | 6 kg | CA$10.44 | CA$10.44 |
| 1,000 | 12 kg | CA$20.88 | CA$20.88 |
| 5,000 | 60 kg | CA$104.40 | CA$104.40 |
| 10,000 | 120 kg | CA$208.80 | CA$208.80 |
| 50,000 | 600 kg | CA$1,044.00 | CA$1,044.00 |
| 100,000 | 1,200 kg | CA$2,088.00 | CA$2,088.00 |
| 500,000 | 6,000 kg | CA$10,440.00 | CA$10,440.00 |
| 1,000,000 | 12,000 kg | CA$20,880.00 | CA$20,880.00 |
British Columbia: a single stand-up pouch is estimated at CA$0.0209 in packaging fees.
British Columbia: across all its components, a stand-up pouch is priced at CA$1.74 per kilogram of packaging.
Taken as a whole, the pack is priced at CA$1.74 per kilogram of packaging, so a heavier pack costs more in proportion to its weight.
Flat fee bands, registration fees and minimum charges sit outside this per-kilogram table.
How the fee for stand-up pouches has moved on British Columbia schedules
British Columbia has published 3 per-mass fee schedules that price this pack. The same Medium (about 8 to 12 oz) stand-up pouches are priced on each below, with the same weights and the same matching rules, so only the published rates differ.
| Schedule | Effective from | Fee per 1,000 packs, lowest rates | Fee per 1,000 packs, highest rates | Per pack | Change in the lowest fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | January 1, 2025 | CA$17.52 | CA$17.52 | CA$0.0175 | - |
| 2026 | January 1, 2026 | CA$22.08 | CA$22.08 | CA$0.0221 | +26% |
| 2027 | January 1, 2027 | CA$20.88 | CA$20.88 | CA$0.0209 | -5.4% |
British Columbia: on the 2025 schedule, effective January 1, 2025, 1,000 stand-up pouches of the Medium (about 8 to 12 oz) size were priced at CA$17.52.
British Columbia: on the 2026 schedule, effective January 1, 2026, 1,000 stand-up pouches of the Medium (about 8 to 12 oz) size were priced at CA$22.08.
British Columbia: on the 2027 schedule, effective January 1, 2027, 1,000 stand-up pouches of the Medium (about 8 to 12 oz) size were priced at CA$20.88.
The same matched categories on each British Columbia schedule, per kilogram; a dash means the schedule does not publish that category.
| Category | 2025 (2025-01) | 2026 (2026-01) | 2027 (2027-01) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic Film | CA$1.46 | CA$1.84 | CA$1.74 |
The fee schedule behind these figures for British Columbia
The rates come from the 2027 schedule of Recycle BC for British Columbia, effective January 1, 2027. The facts below record where it was published and what else the schedule charges.
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: the flat fee band “bc flat 1” (1000 to 2499 kg) is CA$1,500.00.
British Columbia: the flat fee band “bc flat 2” (2500 to 4999 kg) is CA$3,600.00.
British Columbia: the flat fee band “bc flat 3” (5000 to 9999 kg) is CA$8,400.00.
British Columbia: the flat fee band “bc flat 4” (10000 to 15000 kg) is CA$14,100.00.
The schedule also lists 4 flat fee bands for small producers. They can replace the per-kilogram fee and are not part of the estimate on this page.
Ways to lower the fee on a stand-up pouch
Film thickness sets the weight, so a thinner structure that still protects the product is the most direct way to lower a mass-based fee.
Single-material films are easier to sort for recycling, and several programmes publish different rates for them than for multilayer laminates.
A pouch that is sold with a paper outer box carries two packaging components, and the box is priced on its own page.
Pouches are light, so the fee per pack is small, but the fee per 1,000 packs adds up for a product sold in volume.
Questions sellers ask
How much is the EPR fee for a stand-up pouch in British Columbia?
For 1,000 stand-up pouches of the Medium (about 8 to 12 oz) size, the estimated fee is CA$20.88 on the 2027 schedule, from the published rates that fit each component.
Is this the amount I will pay?
No. It is an estimate for the packaging alone. Registration fees, flat fee bands, eco-modulation and thresholds sit outside the per-kilogram figure. Instica prepares the data; you check, sign and submit it, and Instica never stores regulator login details.
How these figures are made
Sources
- recyclebc.ca: Recycle BC 2027 Fee Schedule retrieved
Original wording: RECYCLE BC FEE SCHEDULE (CENTS/KG)
Original wording: Plastic Film 174.00 184.00 -5.4%
Original wording: Kraft Paper * 81.00 77.00 5.2%
Original wording: GLASS Clear Glass 61.00 58.00 5.2%
Original wording: ALUMINUM Aluminum Food & Other Containers 35.00 48.00 -27.1%
Original wording: STEEL Other Steel Packaging including Paint cans ** 71.00 68.00 4.4%
Original wording: Coloured Glass 61.00 58.00 5.2%
Original wording: Other Aluminum Packaging 72.00 70.00 2.9%
- knowledge.werecycle.ca: Report to Producers 2026 OCT15 retrieved
Original wording: 1,000 - 2,499 $1,500 $1,500 0.0%
Original wording: 2,500 - 4,999 $3,600 $3,500 2.9%
Original wording: 5,000 - 9,999 $8,400 $8,300 1.2%
Original wording: 10,000 - 15,000 $14,100 $13,900 1.4%
- recyclebc.ca: Recycle BC 2026 Fee Schedule retrieved
Original wording: Plastic Film 184.00 146.00 26.0%
The free plan is enough to start. We estimate and prepare; you sign and submit.