{"id":18338,"date":"2021-08-04T13:28:50","date_gmt":"2021-08-04T17:28:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quantumlifecycle.com\/staging\/ontarios-environmental-handling-fees-what-you-need-to-know\/"},"modified":"2021-08-04T13:28:50","modified_gmt":"2021-08-04T17:28:50","slug":"ontarios-environmental-handling-fees-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quantumlifecycle.com\/en_CR\/blog\/ontarios-environmental-handling-fees-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Ontario\u2019s Environmental Handling Fees: What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Under the Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) Regulation<\/a>, businesses located in Ontario can add environmental handling fees (EHF) to certain electronic products. The EEE Regulation was established to promote the collection, reuse, refurbishment, or recycling of electronics and reduce their environmental impact. Yet, while EHF fees are meant to help offset the costs of recycling products for businesses, consumers are often confused by the added costs. Here\u2019s what you should know about the current regulation and applicable fees.<\/p>\n

How the EEE Regulation Works<\/h2>\n

The EEE Regulation holds manufacturers and retailers accountable and financially responsible for recycling or refurbishing electronics at the end of their lifespan. Manufacturers and retailers can either establish their own recycling programs in-house, or partner with an electronics recycling company. The regulation also allows businesses to pass recycling costs onto their customers, either by incorporating them into the price of their products or as an additional fee.<\/p>\n

While this aspect of the regulation allows for businesses to comply with recycling requirements while offsetting their additional costs, it can create confusion for consumers. In addition to the fact that fees may either be factored into a product\u2019s price or added separately, there is no standard fee for electronic products. According to the Resource Productivity & Recovery Authority (RPRA)<\/a>, which oversees the EEE Regulation, \u201cThe amount of the fee charged is decided by the business and must reflect the actual cost of recycling that product.\u201d When the recycling cost is built into the price of the product rather than listed as a separate EHF, however, consumers may question why an electronic item may appear to have no EHF in one store while a different retailer charges a supplementary fee for the same product.<\/p>\n

Which Electronics Are Included?<\/h2>\n

The RPRA lists the following equipment as eligible for EHFs:<\/p>\n