Dear Product Care Members,
The British Columbia Recycling Regulation was amended on June 29, 2020, to include empty containers for household hazardous waste (HHW) products under Schedule 2. This amendment added that empty containers for products such as solvents, flammable liquids, pesticides and gasoline are included in the respective product categories within Schedule 2.
The specific changes were as follows:
- Solvents and Flammable Liquids: The definition was expanded to include empty containers for these products.
- Pesticides: The category was amended to encompass empty containers for pesticide products.
- Gasoline: The definition was updated to include empty containers for gasoline.
Prior to the amendment of the Regulation, these containers were included under Schedule 5 – Packaging and Paper Product Category and managed under the RecycleBC program (blue box). Following the amendment of the Regulation, RecycleBC excluded these containers from their program.
During consultations for the (yet-to-be-approved) 2022 plan, Product Care engaged members in discussions about empty containers. At that time, members indicated that these containers were best managed through other streams, which provided effective and accessible solutions. Consequently, empty containers were excluded from the program plan submitted in 2022.
Currently, no stewardship programs in BC specifically accept empty HHW containers. The British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (BCMoECCS) has now requested producers to outline actions to address the management of these containers to ensure compliance with the BC Recycling Regulation. Under Schedule 2 of the Regulation, producers are required to include details in an EPR plan on how empty solvent and flammable liquid containers will be managed.
Please find the letter sent by BCMoECCS at the following link for your reference.
Corrected Links
The attached letter from BCMoECCS contains broken links. Below are the correct ones for your reference:
- For general information on EPR in B.C.: Recycling – Province of British Columbia
- For specific program information: EPR plans and reports – Province of British Columbia
- For information on producer responsibilities and plan development: Producer responsibilities and EPR plan development – Province of British Columbia
Submit Your Response
Responses and inquiries about the contents of the letter can be submitted to BCMoECCS by January 30, 2025, at: extendedproducerresponsiblity@gov.bc.ca
Webinar on BC HHW Empty Containers
Product Care is planning to host a webinar to share information about these requirements. Advanced registration will be required, and a link will be shared soon.
If you have any questions regarding the letter, please contact:
Mario Anda
Senior Program Manager
manda@productcare.org
Sincerely,
The Product Care Team