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ARMA is the organization that leads the stewardship and oversight of designated recycling programs in Alberta, managing environmental fees, promoting waste minimization, and ensuring regulatory compliance to support a circular economy.
Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA) is a not-for-profit organization incorporated under the Societies Act. As a Delegated Administrative Organization, ARMA is accountable to the Government of Alberta and Minister of Environment and Protected Areas through its Business Plan and Annual Report.
Our work falls into two main categories:
The Designated Material Recycling and Management Regulation (the Regulation) authorizes ARMA to levy and collect Surcharges (environmental fees) on the sale or supply of designated material in or into Alberta. These funds are to be used to provide or pay for any or all of the following components regarding designated material:
ARMA is authorized to manage four Designated Materials—electronics, paint, tires, and used oil materials—through a process called multi-material stewardship. Fundamental to this process is ensuring that the financial resources, including environmental fee revenue for each designated material program, are managed independently, while at the same time realizing the synergies and cost-effectiveness of operating under a single organization.
In addition to its environmental stewardship mandate, ARMA meets its obligations under the Societies Act through its bylaws and governance regulation. ARMA formally reports to its membership through an Annual Report and Annual General Meeting.
The Extended Producer Responsibility Regulation (the Regulation) authorizes ARMA to be responsible for the administration and oversight authority of the following designated materials:
In addition to its regulatory oversight, ARMA meets its obligations under the Societies Act through its bylaws and governance regulation. ARMA formally reports to its membership through an Annual Report and Annual General Meeting.
We are currently in a transitional period with the government on the next steps surrounding EPR—including model bylaws—in order to fulfill objectives and goals as an oversight body.
Learn more about EPR.
Our work is guided by an exceptional group of leaders who are passionate about protecting our environment and promoting a circular economy in Alberta. Learn more.
Effectively manage the following contracts:
Since 1992, Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA) has worked alongside Albertans and industry to pursue our vision of inspiring a future without waste.
Today, we lead an Alberta industry that generates hundreds of millions of dollars in economic value while responsibly managing waste streams across electronics, paint, tires, and used oil materials,
Most recently, we launched Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Alberta, promoting even better waste management practices from corner to corner of our province.
Throughout the past 32 years, ARMA has grown tremendously to meet the recycling needs of our province and industries. Most importantly, our biggest champions are Albertans, who demonstrate a strong recycling culture thanks to great awareness, accessibility, and adoption.
Recycling tires in 1992 evolved to include electronics in 2004, paint in 2008, and then inheriting used oil from another organization in 2018. Today, there are over 430 registered municipal and Indigenous collection sites throughout Alberta, the third-highest number of collection sites in Canada.
These sites have allowed Albertans to help ARMA divert 259,762 tonnes of electronics, 36.5 million litres of paint, 149.5 million tires, and over 2.3 billion litres of used oil from the province’s landfills.
With these successful programs, we continually demonstrate how Albertans, through our lifestyles, decisions, and actions, are making far-reaching impacts in building our global recycling reputation.
These programs divert a significant amount of waste from our landfills, but now, with innovation and technological advancements, they generate incredible economic returns. This is not only in job creation through the recycling industry but also in the ability to help the industry cut costs and inspire efficiencies that would create a domino effect for product development.
In 2018 alone, the Alberta recycling sector’s annual economic value was $700 million, creating more than 7,500 direct, indirect, and induced jobs. This is the circular economy in action, and at ARMA, we’re only getting started.
As we look to the next 32 years of ARMA and recycling in Alberta, a future without waste means fostering collaboration, harnessing our Albertan tenacity, and championing our commitment to do better for our environment and economy through recycling.
By telling our recycling story and showcasing the incredible waste management innovation happening in Alberta, we can continue to be a leader in the circular economy for our planet and our shared future.
Ed Gugenheimer
