FAQ Members

Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR, is an environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a product extends to the post-consumer stage of its life cycle.​ Post-consumer stage refers to waste that individuals would typically discard. EPR regulations in Canada are provincially regulated under ministries of the Environment.

You can find the regulation document below that corresponds to one of the participating provinces.

• British Columbia Recycling Regulation (2004)
• Manitoba Household Hazardous Material and Prescribed Material Stewardship Regulation (2011)
• Ontario EPA Regulation 298/12 (2012)
• PEI Regulation EC 2014-349: Environmental Protection Act – Materials and Stewardship and Recycling Regulations (2014)
• NEW BRUNSWICK REGULATION 2008-54, Clean Environment Act

All brand-owners selling regulated products (prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, natural health products, and/or medical sharps) must either have an approved stewardship plan by the provincial ministry of environment or the oversight agency or join an Association with an approved plan. For further clarification, contact the HPSA team. 

The Health Products Stewardship Association (HPSA) is a not-for-profit organization open to all brand-owners of health products in Canada. HPSA is currently the only Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) managing Pharmaceuticals and Medical Sharps stewardship programs under EPR regulations in Canada. 

In 1997, British Columbia passed the first regulation mandating medication brand-owners to provide environmentally responsible disposal methods for consumers. To ensure proper disposal, industry associations collaborated, leading to the formation of the Post-Consumer Pharmaceutical Stewardship Association in 1999, now known as HPSA. 

Founding industry associations include: 

• Nonprescription Drug Association of Canada (NDAC), now Food, Health, and Consumer Health Products (FHCP) 
• Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Canada (PMAC), now Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC) 
• Canadian Drug Manufacturers Association (CDMA), now Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association (CGPA) 

HPSA currently operates in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

To ensure that the EPR regulatory requirements are met, HPSA’s mandate on behalf of its members includes:  

• Develop, submit and renew stewardship program plans for medications and medical sharps, as required.  
• Submit annual reports covering program performance.  
• Manage collection network, supplies and service providers.  
• Develop and implement communication campaigns to educate the public about proper collection and disposal.  

The obligated products under the EPR regulations are medications ( prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and natural health products) and medical sharps used at home.

Medications and Medical Sharps are included in the EPR regulations in the following provinces:

• Manitoba

• Ontario

• Quebec

• New Brunswick

• Prince Edwards Island

In British Columbia , the EPR regulation only covers medications. 

If you would like to join HPSA as a member, please reach out to us at lbaladze@healthsteward.ca to get an application form.

Registered producers pay an annual fee to HPSA based on their market share of sales per program and province.

HPSA is 100% funded by registered producers of consumer health products.

Stewardship programs developed and managed by HPSA only cover obligations pertaining to the collection of unwanted medications and used medical sharps. You are required to participate in the Packaging and Printed Paper (“Blue Box”) programs managed by other PROs.