The program will be funded by "eco-fees" applied to the sale of new lamps, ballasts and fixtures in BC after July 1, 2012, including those sold to the commercial sector. These fees will be used by Product Care, a non-profit industry association, to fund the collection, transportation and recycling of end-of-life products to ensure all generators can recycle these products at the end of their life free of charge, as required by the BC Recycling Regulation.

The eco-fee will be subject to sales tax, as it is considered to be a part of the price of regulated products. While the applicable HST will be remitted to the government, no part of the eco fee itself will be remitted to the government.

These fees will be paid by members of the program who have joined Product Care to fulfill their legal obligations under the BC Recycling Regulation. Members have the option of “passing-on” this fee to their customers. The fee may be shown separately on the product invoice/receipt, incorporated directly into the price of the product or absorbed, at the discretion of the program members and their subsequent customers. In comparable programs, the fee is often passed down through the supply chain. The price paid by downstream customers should never exceed the program-mandated fee.

Purchasers of new lamps, ballasts and fixtures may therefore begin seeing eco-fees being charged on products purchased after July 1, 2012. The expected impact of these fees should be considered on bids and contracts that extend past July 1, 2012.

View the eco-fee rates and complete product list here.