The charge often called the Ontario tire tax is not actually a tax. It’s a resource recovery fee set by tire producers to pay for collecting and recycling used tires, and it has been in place since January 1, 2019 under Ontario’s producer responsibility system. The provincial government does not collect the money, does not set the amount, and does not spend the proceeds.
Why It’s a Fee, Not a Tax
Ontario’s tire recycling program runs under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016, with the operating rules in Ontario Regulation 225/18. Companies that sell tires into the Ontario market carry the full financial and logistical responsibility for taking those tires back at the end of their life and recycling them.1Government of Ontario. O. Reg. 225/18 – Tires The regulation applies to any tire weighing one kilogram or more, from passenger car tires up to industrial and agricultural equipment.
Producers can meet the obligation on their own or by joining a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) that handles collection and processing for them.2Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority. Tires Each PRO sets its own fees based on its actual costs. That cost gets passed down the supply chain to you at the till.
This replaced the older Ontario Tire Stewardship program, which charged a flat, government-approved handling fee on every tire. That program ended December 31, 2018.3Rethink Tires. Ontario Tire Recycling Under the current model, there is no single province-wide rate.
How Much You Pay
The amount varies with the tire’s size and weight, and with which PRO handles the brand you’re buying. Passenger and light truck tires carry the smallest fees. Medium truck and bus tires cost more to process and are priced higher. Large off-road tires used on construction or mining equipment carry the steepest charges.
Across Canadian provinces that publish set rates, passenger tire fees generally fall in the $3 to $7 range, medium truck fees around $9 to $15, and large off-road fees can run into the hundreds of dollars.4Canadian Association of Tire Recycling Agencies. Canada’s Tire Recycling Fees by Province by Tire Type For the exact Ontario amount on a specific tire, check with the PRO that handles that brand. RPRA publishes the full list of registered producers and PROs on its website.
The fee pays for hauling and processing used tires into recycled products such as rubber mulch, playground surfaces, and athletic tracks.
How the Fee Shows Up on Your Receipt
Retailers can either fold the recovery fee into the tire price or break it out as a separate line. Both are permitted.
If a retailer lists the fee separately, Ontario Regulation 225/18 requires clear disclosure. The retailer must identify who is responsible for the charge and explain that the money goes to tire collection and recycling. The explanation has to appear at the same time and in the same format as the charge. On a printed receipt, the explanation goes on the receipt. On an online checkout page, the explanation sits on that page. The rule applies equally to advertisements, whether print, broadcast, or digital.5Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority. Compliance Bulletin – Charging Tire Fees to Consumers
Any retailer who itemizes the fee must also file an annual verification report and audit showing that the charge reflects real recycling costs and was actually used for that purpose.5Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority. Compliance Bulletin – Charging Tire Fees to Consumers Many shops simply build the fee into the sticker price to avoid that reporting burden.
Drop-Off Is Free
Because the fee you paid at purchase already covers end-of-life recycling, dropping off used tires costs nothing. Registered collection sites cannot charge you and cannot turn away tires of a type they accept.6Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority. RPRA’s Where to Recycle Map Collection points include tire retailers, auto repair shops, and municipal waste depots.
The daily drop-off limits work like this:
- Retail stores must take up to 10 tires per person per day, including tires on rims, if they are similar to the types the store sells.
- Municipal depots must take up to 10 passenger and light truck tires per person per day, including tires on rims.
You do not have to strip tires off their rims first, though some sites prefer it. The one-kilogram threshold means snowblower, wheelbarrow, dolly, and riding lawn mower tires all qualify alongside standard car, truck, motorcycle, ATV, and trailer tires.6Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority. RPRA’s Where to Recycle Map
RPRA runs an interactive “Where to Recycle” map at rpra.ca. If a site charges you or refuses your tires, you can flag it through the “Report an Issue” link on that location’s listing.6Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority. RPRA’s Where to Recycle Map
Buying Tires Online
Ordering from an out-of-province website does not get you around the fee. Under O. Reg. 225/18, anyone who markets tires directly to Ontario consumers counts as a producer, even without a physical presence in the province.2Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority. Tires Online sellers shipping tires into Ontario carry the same collection, recycling, and reporting obligations as a local warehouse operator. The recovery cost is usually baked into the online price rather than shown as a separate charge.
What Happens if Producers Don’t Pay Up
The Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) enforces the rules and can impose administrative penalties under O. Reg. 558/22. Penalties are calculated from a base amount plus an economic benefit component and can reach up to $1 million per contravention. In a 2025 action, RPRA issued notices of intention to penalize tire producers with proposed penalties ranging from $70,000 to $1 million.7Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority. Statement from the Registrar – Notices of Intention to Issue Administrative Penalty Orders to Tire Producers The fee you pay at the counter sits inside a system with real consequences for producers who don’t deliver on it.