One system
One province-wide program in place of today's community-by-community arrangements.
Proposed changes to Manitoba's household recycling policy
Under provincial review
The transition to full Extended Producer Responsibility
Manitoba’s household recycling system could transition from a shared-cost model to full EPR, where producers take on full financial and operational responsibility. Learn more about full EPR and the transition plan: how it works, what changes, when it happens, and what is still being finalized.
01 · What is full EPR
Producers fund and operate the whole system
Full extended producer responsibility makes the companies that supply packaging and paper in Manitoba fully responsible for funding and operating household recycling programs. Manitoba uses a shared EPR model today: communities manage their recycling services, and Recycle Manitoba covers part of the cost with funding from producers. Under full EPR, that responsibility becomes complete: Recycle Manitoba funds and operates the recycling system end to end.
Today · shared model
Communities run or contract collection services and are funded for up to 80% of eligible net costs. Communities carry the remaining cost, the contracts, and the operational risk.
- Communities manage collection services independently
- Costs shared between producers and communities
- Service levels vary by community
Under Full EPR
Producers assume full financial and operational responsibility for household recycling, delivered as one province-wide program.
- Producers fund 100% of the system
- Consistent service across the province
- Communities can choose to manage collection*
-
-
Consistent service
The same materials accepted, consistent messaging, and comparable service levels across Manitoba.
-
Cost off communities
Recycling costs shift to the producers who supply packaging and paper.
-
Stronger accountability
Better standards for measuring system performance and publishing recovery outcomes.
* Communities that want to keep running collection themselves can do so — see community options.
02 · Transition overview
Where the plan stands
Recycle Manitoba developed the Full EPR Transition Plan at the Province of Manitoba’s request, with input from municipalities, First Nations, producers, residents, and service providers. The plan is currently under provincial review.
The goal is consistent recycling service across Manitoba, delivered with no disruption to residents during the transition.
-
1
Plan developed
Built at the province’s request with stakeholder input.
-
2
Under provincial review
Current stage. Timelines start once the plan is approved.
-
3
Phased implementation
Rolled out in collaboration with communities, with no service disruption.
03 · What this means for producers
Full financial and operational responsibility
Under full EPR, producers assume both the cost of the household packaging and paper recycling system and responsibility for managing it – collection, processing, promotion, and the service standards residents receive.
Producer-specific detail, including fee structure and reporting changes, will be published here as it becomes available.
For Producers
Registration, reporting and fees
Everything producers need under the current program.
05 · Timing
Phased over roughly four years
Once the plan is approved, the transition runs as a preparation period followed by three years of phased implementation. A community's current program and funding doesn't change until its phase begins.
-
Pre-approval
Provincial review
The plan is assessed by the province. No transition activity begins until it is approved.
-
Year 1
Preparation
Procurement, agreements, and funding offers are prepared. Communities begin reviewing their options.
-
Year 2
Phased implementation
Communities transition in sequence over three years, group by group.
-
Throughout
No disruption
Residents keep their existing service until their community’s transition date.
Sequencing
The order communities transition in depends on:
- Existing contract end dates
- Region and geography
- Collection type
- Community readiness
- Processing capacity
3–12
months
Communities get three to twelve months to review their funding offer and obtain council approval before their transition date.
06 · Still being finalized
Two things we can't confirm yet
The transition plan is under provincial review, and parts of it are still being worked out. We would rather say so than publish numbers that change.
-
Reporting requirements
What communities and producers will report, and how often, is not yet final.
-
Service level specifications
Minimum service standards for collection are still being finalized with the province.
This page is updated as decisions are made.
07 · Documents
Draft documents
All documents below are drafts under provincial review and may change before approval.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions communities and producers ask most often about the transition.
-
Producers move from sharing the cost of household recycling to taking on full financial and operational responsibility for it. Recycle Manitoba would fund the system and coordinate services across the province, with communities choosing how collection is delivered locally.
-
The Transition Plan is currently under review by the Manitoba government. Once approved, the transition is expected to take about four years: one year of preparation followed by a three-year implementation period. Communities will move over in phases, with timing shaped by catchment design, existing contracts, community readiness, and the collection model each community chooses.
-
No. Communities that want to keep managing household recycling collection can choose the Community-Led option. Recycle Manitoba provides a funding offer, and communities that accept it continue delivering service with municipal staff, contracted providers, or a combination of both. Communities that would rather have Recycle Manitoba coordinate collection on their behalf can choose the Program-Led option. Staffing decisions stay with local government under either approach.
-
Funding offers are based on each community’s individual circumstances. Factors include the current program and service agreements, cost-monitoring survey data (operating costs, capital costs, promotion and education, administration), number of households, collection frequency, transportation distances, and infrastructure requirements. The offer is intended to cover eligible household recycling costs. Communities are responsible for costs beyond it, including service changes, capital purchases, or contract commitments the offer doesn’t cover.
-
Decision timing will be worked out with each community as part of transition planning, since communities move to full EPR in phases over the three-year implementation period. Recycle Manitoba’s Field Services team is available to walk through the funding offer, service requirements, and expected costs before a decision is made. Communities considering new recycling contracts or renewals in the meantime should speak with Field Services first.
-
Keeping recycling reliable for residents is one of Recycle Manitoba’s top priorities. Existing services, including curbside cart collection and depot service, will be reviewed with each community before service arrangements are finalized, and multi-family dwellings already receiving service will continue to be included. For Program-Led communities, service providers must meet clear requirements for reliable collection, including processes for missed pickups and overflowing bins. Garbage and composting services are unaffected, and Recycle Manitoba does not charge residents directly.
-
Recycle Manitoba coordinates and funds everything after collection. Material goes to a receiving, consolidation and transfer facility (RCT), where it is weighed by source and prepared for transport to a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) for sorting and baling before sale to recyclers. Recycle Manitoba will select RCT providers through a procurement process, cover long-haul transport where required, and aim to reduce unnecessary handling, cost, and emissions. Performance data such as tonnes collected, recovery rates, and contamination rates will be reported annually.
-
Several pieces are still in progress. The Transition Plan itself is awaiting provincial approval. The Master Service Agreement and Statements of Work that define service standards are still drafts. Recycle Manitoba has not yet decided whether cross-province hauling will be allowed where it improves efficiency. Storage support for remote communities that need to hold baled material year-round may be considered as the program expands. Whether RCTs can keep accepting other stewarded materials, and how existing municipal contracts are handled, will be worked out site by site and community by community.
08 · Next steps
Arrange a discussion with Field Services
Communities weighing program-led versus community-led collection can book time with Field Services to walk through what it means for them.