The Government of New Brunswick established an Extended Producer Responsibility program for electronic products in 2017. Designated Materials Regulation 2024-37 under the Clean Environment Act sets out the requirements for the program.
As the agency responsible for designated materials in New Brunswick, Recycle NB oversees the electronics program.
As per the Regulation, producers may designate a Producer Responsibility Organization to operate the program on their behalf. Producers chose Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA) to operate the electronics program in New Brunswick.
According to Designated Materials Regulation 2008-54 under the Clean Environment Act, no brand owner shall sell, offer for sale or distribute an electronic product to a person within the Province unless the brand owner is registered with Recycle NB.
An application for the issuance of a registration shall be on a form provided by Recycle NB and shall provide the following information:
(a) the name of the applicant;
(b) whether the applicant is applying for registration as a supplier or brand owner;
(c) the location of the head office of the applicant, and its main place of business within the Province;
(d) if a corporation, the name of the officers of the corporation, their titles, addresses of their places of residence and telephone numbers;
(e) the name, address and telephone number of the person to whom any correspondence or inquiries should be directed; and
(f) if an applicant is a brand owner, the name, address and telephone number of any agent (Producer Responsibility Organization) acting on behalf of the applicant for the purposes of this Regulation.
To register, please click here.
According to Designated Materials Regulation 2008-54 under the Clean Environment Act, all brand owners who wish to sell, offer for sale or distribute electronic products to a person in the Province must register with Recycle NB.
Regulation 2008-54 defines a brand owner as a person who:
(i) is a manufacturer of electronic products,
(ii) is a distributor of electronic products,
(iii) is an owner or licensee of a registered or unregistered trademark under which electronic products are sold, offered for sale or distributed, or
(iv) if an electronic product is imported into the Province, is the first person to sell the electronic product.
Under Designated Materials Regulation 2024-37 of the Clean Environment Act, “electronic product” means a product intended for consumer, industrial or commercial use and
(a) includes
(i) a television,
(ii) a desktop, laptop and notebook computer and the computer’s central processing unit, keyboard, mouse and cable,
(iii) a computer monitor,
(iv) a computer desktop printer and a desktop printer with scanning or fax capabilities,
(v) a desktop scanner,
(vi) an audio and video playback and recording system,
(vii) a telephone,
(viii) a cellular phone and any other wireless communication devices,
(ix) a fax machine,
(x) a personal digital assistant and any other similar handheld devices not capable of connecting to the Internet,
(xi) a digital camera,
(xii) an analog or digital video camera,
(xiii) an external storage drive and modem,
(xiv) an electronic reader,
(xv) a video game device or peripheral,
(xvi) a global positioning and navigation system,
(xvii) a counter top microwave oven,
(xviii) a floor-standing printer, copier or any floor-standing unit that combines printing, copying, scanning and other functions,
(xix) a floor and carpet care appliance,
(xx) a garment care appliance,
(xxi) a counter top cooking appliance,
(xxii) a device used for cutting food and opening or sealing containers or packages,
(xxiii) a device used for time measurement,
(xxiv) a personal care appliance,
(xxv) a kitchen scale or bathroom scale, and
(xxvi) a portable air treatment unit, excluding air conditioners, and
(b) does not include factory-installed audio, video or communication devices developed for embedded use in motor vehicles.
For more information or a complete list of accepted products, please contact EPRA.
According to Section 50.44 of the Regulation:
50.44(1)Subject to subsection (2), a brand owner or a retailer, on behalf of a brand owner, may recover from the consumer costs associated with implementing or operating an electronic products stewardship plan, or costs associated with supplying material under section 50.43.
50.44(2)A brand owner or a retailer who recovers costs under subsection (1) shall integrate those costs
(a) into a total advertised sales price of the electronic product, and
(b) into the sales price of the electronic product on the receipt of sale.50.44(3)A brand owner or a retailer is not prohibited from informing the public that the price of an electronic product includes costs recovered under subsection (1) and communicating those costs to the public.
Fee Schedule
The Environmental Handling Fee charged on new electronic products is not a tax and it is not collected by government. EPRA (Electronic Products Recycling Association) sets the Environmental Handling Fee for each new electronic product. Please consult the EPRA NB Website for more information.
According to Section 50.44 of the Regulation:
50.44(1)Subject to subsection (2), a brand owner or a retailer, on behalf of a brand owner, may recover from the consumer costs associated with implementing or operating an electronic products stewardship plan, or costs associated with supplying material under section 50.43.
50.44(2)A brand owner or a retailer who recovers costs under subsection (1) shall integrate those costs
(a) into a total advertised sales price of the electronic product, and
(b) into the sales price of the electronic product on the receipt of sale.
50.44(3)A brand owner or a retailer is not prohibited from informing the public that the price of an electronic product includes costs recovered under subsection (1) and communicating those costs to the public.
Please review the Fee Display and Advertising Examples to ensure you comply with the Designated Materials Regulation. The Environmental Handling Fee charged on new electronic products is not a tax and it is not collected by government. EPRA (Electronic Products Recycling Association) sets the Environmental Handling Fee for each new electronic product. Please consult the EPRA NB Website.
On July 14, 2024, the Government of New Brunswick introduced Designated Materials Regulation 2024-37 under the Clean Environment Act, repealing the previous Regulation.
Changes in the modernized Designated Materials Regulation 2024-37 include, but are not limited to, expanding the list of designated materials in New Brunswick and establishing responsibilities for obligated producers as defined through a producer hierarchy provided in the Regulation.
For more information, please review the Regulations below or contact Recycle NB at info@recyclenb.com or 1-506-454-8473.
Clean Environment Act
Designated Materials Regulation 2024-37
A stewardship plan shall apply to the manufacture, storage, collection, transportation, processing, disposal or other handling of electronics that are sold, offered for sale or distributed within the Province. For more details, please see the approved stewardship plan, which expires on December 31, 2027.