EPR or how to better manage waste?
Changes in consumption habits and in what companies are offering to meet these changing needs come with a set of challenges. One such challenge is the rise in the amount of packaging waste produced, which has traditionally been managed by municipalities through contracts for collection and sorting. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) aims to shift the responsibility for a product’s end-of-life from citizens to producers, thereby holding producers accountable for the packaging they put on the market.
EPR is a provincial/state law, meaning the regulations can vary significantly from one jurisdiction to another. However, they can generally be categorized into two models: financial EPR and operational EPR. Municipalities continue to manage recyclable materials in the financial model through contracts, with companies partially or fully reimbursing recovery costs (collection and processing) via ecofees. On the other hand, the operational model requires companies to manage the entire life cycle of their products, including awarding contracts, bearing costs, and meeting specific performance targets. In both cases, ecofees should incentivize producers to design more environmentally friendly products, either by making them more recyclable or by reducing the amount of packaging used.
EPR for packaging
It should be noted that the EPR principle has long existed in North America, especially for products other than containers and packaging.
- Household and air-conditioning appliances
- Pressurized gas containers
- Oils, antifreeze, coolants, their containers and filters, and other similar products
- Mercury lamps
- Paints and their containers
- Batteries and cells
- Mattresses
- Electronic products
- Pharmaceutical products
Ecofees: Taxes, contributions, or financing - How do they work?
Ecofees are costs charged to companies that put packaging on the market. These fees are determined based on the end-of-life management costs of each product and cover the collection and sorting stages. They are calculated based on the weight and material type of the product's packaging. Ecofees vary from province to province, and producers are obligated to pay these fees in each province where their products are sold.
Fees per tons of material in 2024
| Name | Québec | British Columbia | New Brunswick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corrugated Cardboard | 282 $ / mt | 480 $ / mt | 390 $ / mt |
| PET Containers | 436 $ / mt | 980 $ / mt | 730 $ / mt |
| Expanded Polystyrene | 1,446 $ / mt | 2,820 $ / mt | 2,250 $ / mt |
| Other Plastics | 580 $ / mt | 770 $ / mt | 650 $ / mt |
1 mt: metric ton
2 These are average fees. Please check with your local PRO.
Fees per tons of material in 2024
Québec
- Corrugated Cardboard: 282 $ / mt
- PET Containers: 436 $ / mt
- Expanded Polystyrene: 1,446 $ / mt
- Other Plastics: 580 $ / mt
British Columbia
- Corrugated Cardboard: 480 $ / mt
- PET Containers: 980 $ / mt
- Expanded Polystyrene: 2,820 $ / mt*
- Other Plastics: 770 $ / mt
*Le tarif est appelé à augmenter drastiquement en 2024.
New Brunswick
- Corrugated Cardboard: 390 $ / mt
- PET Containers: 730 $ / mt
- Expanded Polystyrene: 2,250 $ / mt
- Other Plastics: 650 $ / mt
From start to finish, fibre is a winning material!
Who better than Cascades, ranked among the world's most responsible companies, to support you in your transition to EPR? Thanks to our vertical integration, the various teams at Cascades have been dealing with financial and operational EPR for many years, whether for collection, sorting, recycling, or packaging manufacturing. These decades of experience and innovation enable us to offer packaging solutions tailored to the requirements of EPR and the various recycling markets.
Our key material is fibre,
which offers all the advantages that EPR companies need:
- Generally, fibre has lower ecofees compared to other materials.
- Fibre is a well-known material with a well-established system: consumers are familiar with paper and cardboard; they know how to dispose of them properly, and recycling infrastructure has been available and established for several decades.
Our commitment to eco-design
Cascades is a team of over 70 designers with a shared mission:
to create sustainable packaging from the initial design phase. How do we achieve this?
By reducing the number of components and materials, as well as the weight and volume of packaging, and eliminating over-packaging.
By using recyclable materials (e.g. fibre) and avoiding elements that hinder recyclability (e.g. wax, lamination, etc.).
By optimizing packaging logistics and the reuse chain.
What does this mean for you? It means reduced eco-costs and improved end-of-life management for your products!
Innovating according to your reality
Innovation at Cascades isn't just a buzzword in our specifications. It's the result of research and development efforts to replace hard-to-recycle packaging with more sustainable options. By promoting the use of monomaterials, we facilitate recycling processes and continue to offer solutions that address companies' concerns about their environmental footprint.
Supporting you toward sustainability
In addition to supplying eco-designed packaging, Cascades offers you personalized support. When you consult our experts, you'll know exactly what's going on with your packaging and receive advice tailored to your practices and your desire for sustainability.
Aim for total commitment with Cascades Recovery+
Do we focus solely on managing residual materials? Nope—we take things a few steps further!
Our approach is distinguished by a total commitment to the recovery and reclamation of resources, thanks to:
- Our ability to develop tailor-made solutions.
- Cleverly devised strategies to increase recycling rates and reduce waste management costs.
- Ongoing support in realizing your sustainability ambitions.
Together, we can combine profitability and sustainability!
In a world where environmental responsibility is becoming increasingly important, companies like Cascades play an essential role in promoting sustainability.
By offering innovative, recyclable, and eco-designed packaging, we’re protecting our resources in a tangible way.
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