The Designated Materials Regulation – Clean Environment Act provides a definition of “brand owner” that the Circular Materials Atlantic Stewardship Plan further defines to incorporate a hierarchy that is harmonized with the Ontario producer hierarchy.
While similar, there are separate producer hierarchies used to determine the obligated producer for:
Paper and packaging-like products that are supplied to consumers for their personal, family or household purposes.
Packaging that is supplied to consumers for their personal, family or household purposes.
Producer hierarchies work to ensure that the business actor with the closest connection to the designated packaging and paper is the responsible party.
Both hierarchies prioritize responsibility on:
The brand holder who is resident in Canada whose packaging and/or paper is supplied to New Brunswick consumers as the first person who would be responsible.
Where no brand holder is resident in Canada, then the importer who supplied the packaging and/or paper who is resident in New Brunswick.
Where no importer is resident in New Brunswick, then the retailer who supplied Blue Box materials to consumers in New Brunswick.
Please see section 5.2 of the draft Stewardship Plan for a full explanation of the producer hierarchy.