Ryse Solutions Are Your Pros on Everything Blue Box: Why Choose a PRO

We understand that change can be difficult, but when it comes to our environment, change is necessary to get closer to a circular economy. 

Changes are coming to Ontario’s Blue Box program, and Ryse Solutions is here to help you through the process.

What changes are coming to Ontario’s Blue Box program?

Under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016, Blue Box producers will be legally required to manage and pay for 100% of the collection, reuse, refurbishment, and recycling of the Blue Box materials they produce (up from 50% today) 

Producers of paper, packaging, packaging-like products and single-use items will be required to: 

  • maintain and improve existing blue box services, including participating in a common curbside blue box collection system across Ontario 
  • expand blue box services to communities outside the Far North, including First Nation communities 
  • expand blue box collection services to additional sources, such as multi-unit residential buildings, schools, some public spaces, and specified retirement and long-term care homes 
  • collect a consistent set of materials in blue boxes across the province 
  • meet management requirements for blue box materials, such as diversion targets 
  • implement a promotion and education program to increase awareness about the collection, reuse, recycling and recovery of materials 

As of July 1, 2023, when producers, municipalities, and First Nation communities start transitioning their Blue Box programs to the new framework, Blue Box producers will become fully accountable and financially responsible for collecting and recycling their materials when consumers discard them. This transition is expected to be completed by December 31, 2025. 

Who is affected by the blue box changes? 

Producers - a person or entity, including manufacturers, importers, and marketers, that supplies Blue Box material (packaging, paper producers or packaging-like products) comprised of paper, glass, metal or plastic, or a combination of these materials to consumers in Ontario.  

Municipalities - a local municipality or local services board area that is not located in the Far North. 

First Nation community - a reserve that is registered by a First Nation with RPRA and not located in the Far North, or a local municipality or local services board area that is not located in the Far North. 

What is a PRO? 

A producer responsibility organization, or PRO, is a business established to contract with producers to provide collection, management and administrative services to help producers meet their regulatory obligations under the Blue Box Regulation, including: 

  • Arranging, establishing or operating a collection and management system 
  • Arranging, establishing or operating a promotion and education system 
  • Preparing and submitting reports 
  • Representing a producer for any purpose under the regulation 

Why choose Ryse Solutions? 

Ryse Solutions is part of the Emterra Group, a Canadian company with over 45 years of experience in recycling and resource management. Our DNA is blue box collection, sorting and processing, and preparing and selling collected materials to end markets throughout North America and beyond.    

The Ryse Solutions team understands many companies have more than one type of regulation to comply with. This is why we are proud to be Ontario's first multi-material producer PRO, experienced in recovery for both regulated and voluntary programs. We have managed compliance services for 110+ customers, including four of Canada's largest retailers and Fortune500 companies. Ryse Solutions is also the province’s most experienced PRO, having provided services to producers since 2019. 

Whatever the product or package is, we always focus on our customer's unique needs in the pursuit of a circular economy. Having one supplier for your Ontario compliance needs not only makes sense but makes cents. 

Ryse Solutions Inc. works with producers and packaging suppliers to provide compliance, advisory and material recovery solutions to meet ever-changing regulatory and sustainability demands. Our team has over 50 years of collective experience in circular economy solutions, including the design, implementation and management of producer responsibility programs, which cover a broad range of materials, such as tires, waste electronics, hard-to-recycle packaging and batteries. Backed by a well-developed network of collection, processing and end-market assets, we also offer solutions to producers, retailers, manufacturers and packaging suppliers, which include understanding the flow of material in recycling facilities; research and development on the recyclability of consumer plastic packaging and paper products; and, the development and optimization of commodity end markets.