Launch of EPR programs in Nova Scotia: Dates retailers should know

A reminder to RCC members that, beginning next month, Nova Scotia will introduce/amend a number of extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs over a fourteen-month period. New EPR programs will be introduced for batteries, lighting, and packaging while the long-standing electronics program will be amended by obligating a number of handheld electronic products. The relevant deadlines for the various EPR programs are as follows:

1. Electronics Deadlines:

December 1, 2023 is the deadline to sign up with a PRO / June 1, 2024 is the program implementation date.

Who will be the Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO)?: EPRA (Electronic Products Recycling Association) Atlantic is the existing PRO for electronics and has applied to be the PRO for the additional electronics products. Given that EPRA Atlantic has been successfully running the program for years, government did not feel the need to give as lengthy a timeline for producers to sign up with a PRO.

2. Batteries Deadlines:

January 1, 2024 is the deadline to sign up with a PRO / July 1, 2024 is the program implementation date.

Who will be the PRO?: Call to Recycle has applied to be the PRO.

3. Lighting Deadlines:

February 1, 2024 is the deadline to sign up with a PRO / August 1, 2024 is the program implementation date.

Who will be the PRO?: Product Care has applied to be the PRO.

4. Packaging Deadlines:

January 1, 2024 is the deadline to register with Divert Nova Scotia / October 1, 2024 is the deadline to provide initial reporting requirements from previous year (weights of designated materials) to Divert NS (see note below) / December 1, 2025 is the program implementation date.

Who will be the PRO?: Circular Materials has applied to be the PRO. Once approved, a producer could sign up with Circular Materials who would then register all of the producers’ relevant information with Divert NS.

For those who wish to view Nova Scotia’s legislation which encompasses all of the province’s extended producer responsibility programs, please see Nova Scotia’s Solid Waste-Resource Management regulations under its Environment Act.