Communities

Communities across Alberta have the opportunity to join the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program, gaining access to cost-saving recycling services and environmental benefits.

How does EPR Benefit Your Community?

You may be wondering if it is worth it to join Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). There are substantial benefits for communities across Alberta to join the program.

For communities with existing recycling services, the operational cost of these services will be transferred to producers under EPR. This shift is expected to alleviate the financial burden on your community, potentially reducing utility or tax levies associated with waste management. The funds saved could then be redirected to other valuable community initiatives.

For communities without existing recycling services, EPR will introduce the advantage of recycling services in communities currently without them, including:

Waste reduction as recycling lowers the volume of waste in landfills.
Economic benefit since recycling can create jobs and reduce the cost of waste management.

Conservation of resources through recycling materials like paper, plastic and metal means communities can conserve valuable resources.

Communities that are not registered in EPR can still register. Please contact epr@albertarecycling.ca for more information.

What Communities Can Join EPR?

The EPR Regulation defines communities and includes:

cities,
towns,
villages (including summer villages),
municipal districts,
specialized municipalities,
improvement districts (as per the Municipal Government Act),
special areas (as per the Special Areas Act),
settlements (as per the Metis Settlements Act), and
Indian reserves (as per the Municipal Government Act).

Key Dates for Communities

Communities that registered for EPR before December 31, 2023, will start receiving collection under the EPR program starting April 1, 2025. Registration may have been completed by the community or a community authority such as a waste commission.

Communities that register after December 31, 2023, and communities currently without recycling services will start receiving recycling collection series in Phase II on October 1, 2026.

Further information about registration is available by contacting epr@albertarecycling.ca.

Resources for Communities

For information on procedures, policies, or bylaws, click here.

To register as community, visit ARMA Connect.

Have a question? Visit our frequently asked questions page.

Need step-by-step instructions? View past webinars and workshops for EPR.

Please note that ARMA is the oversight authority for EPR, and it is the responsibility for communities and their PROs to develop educational materials for the public.