Ontario Regulation 311/26 amends Ontario Regulation 225/18 (Tires) under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016. The regulation introduces additional tire collection requirements, revises tire management targets, strengthens reporting obligations, and establishes new rules for producer responsibility organizations.

A major change is the introduction of a requirement for additional tire collection sites. Producers subject to sections 6 or 8 of the existing regulation must establish and operate 2,200 additional tire collection sites annually across Ontario, beyond their existing obligations. At least 220 of these sites must be located in Northern Ontario. The regulation defines Northern Ontario by reference to ten geographic districts: Algoma, Cochrane, Kenora, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, and Timiskaming.

The amendments also restrict the substitution of previously reported tire collection sites. A producer cannot replace a site established to meet its collection obligations unless the site is closing or its owner or operator no longer wishes it to be used for that purpose. Producers must establish replacement sites in these circumstances. These provisions are intended to maintain collection infrastructure while permitting substitutions when continued operation is no longer possible or desired.

Where multiple producer responsibility organizations operate a tire collection site on behalf of producers, they must enter into an agreement by January 1 of the relevant calendar year. The agreement must specify each organization’s collection responsibilities and explain how collected tires will be managed throughout the year. This requirement applies beginning in 2027.

The regulation substantially revises tire management requirements for 2025 and subsequent years. Each producer must establish and operate a tire management system and account for managed tires weighing at least 80 per cent of its average weight of tire supply. Producers may satisfy this obligation through agreements with registered tire haulers, processors, retreaders, or qualifying producer responsibility organizations.

New reporting requirements increase transparency and accountability. Producers or their contracted producer responsibility organizations must submit annual collection-site and public collection-event information through the Registry by January 1. Updates are required within 15 days of specified changes. Producer responsibility organizations must also report management results, costs, cost-per-tonne calculations, and methodologies used to allocate charges to clients. Historical cost reports covering 2023, 2024, and 2025 are due by December 31, 2026.

Ontario (311/2026) October 7, 2026
Disclaimer: Insights are for informational purposes only and does not reflect RRI’s official position or constitute legal opinion.