In 2016, the Government of Ontario created the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA), the regulator mandated to enforce the province’s circular economy laws.
RPRA has a unique mandate and enforcement powers, and as Ontario’s resource recovery programs mature.
RPRA’s Registrar, Mary Cummins, leads RPRA’s compliance and enforcement function, including overseeing inspections, prosecutions, compliance orders, administrative penalties, and offence provisions under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act and associated regulations, including the Blue Box Regulation. She is also accountable for the Registry IT system which is used to receive and store information related to resource recovery and waste reduction activities, which includes verification of recovery data and public reporting. Her team also is responsible for supporting regulated entities with their reporting requirements for the Hazardous Waste Program and Excess Soil Program.