Divert Ns

What Divert Ns does

Divert NS, operating legally as the Resource Recovery Fund Board, Inc., is a Nova Scotia not-for-profit organization founded in 1996 that manages the province's beverage container and used tire recycling programs, operates a network of more than 77 Enviro-Depot drop-off locations, and since 2023 has served as the government-appointed Administrator for the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program covering Packaging, Paper, and Packaging-Like Products. Its core product surface spans stewardship programs (beverage containers, passenger and bicycle tires, paint, electronics, household hazardous waste, household medical waste, organics and composting, textiles), the Enviro-Depot collection network, a Kemptown sorting/baleware warehouse, and EPR regulatory oversight, supplemented by educational offerings (Waste Not News, Waste Educators, Ocean Action Zone/Camps at the Discovery Centre), annual recognition programs (Mobius Awards of Environmental Excellence, Enviro-Depot of the Year, Champion of the Environment Scholarships), and a portfolio of funding mechanisms (Value-Added Manufacturing, R&D, Municipal Funding, Student Research Grants, ISANS micro-grants).

The organization does not develop proprietary technology and earns revenue not through product sales but through three streams: (1) stewardship fees on beverage containers and used tires, (2) EPR oversight fees paid by producers of packaging and paper products who supply goods into Nova Scotia (coordinated with Circular Materials, the registered Producer Responsibility Organization), and (3) government funding and grants. EPR for PPP officially launched on December 1, 2025, shifting curbside recycling responsibility and costs from municipalities to producers. Customers and stakeholders include all Nova Scotia residents using Enviro-Depots and curbside recycling, packaging/paper producers required to comply with EPR, Nova Scotia businesses receiving waste-diversion funding, and municipalities/institutions participating in diversion programs. Divert NS is not a venture-backed or publicly traded entity; it operates under government oversight with no traditional equity ownership, and its primary capital deployment is grants to Nova Scotia waste-diversion businesses (e.g., Novapet, Oberland Agriscience, Skaldyr, Halifax C&D, YORKS Timberstone, EcoTank Canada) rather than acquisitions.

Name

Divert Ns

Legal name

Resource Recovery Fund Board, Inc.

Website

https://www.divertns.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Divert NS works with Nova Scotians to improve their environment and economy,.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management and Recycling Services

NAICS

Waste Collection (5621), Solid Waste Collection (562111)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Consumer E-waste Collection & Take-Back Programs (EUAIAIAA), Packaging Recovery & Closed-Loop Programs (Take-Back, Deposit-Return, EPR Support) (IMALAMAF)

Keywords

• Waste diversion programs
• Extended producer responsibility
• Beverage container recycling
• Recycling depot network
• Environmental stewardship funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Truro

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Stewardship Fees - Beverage Containers and Tires: Divert NS manages stewardship fees on beverage containers and used tires, which fund recycling programs and operations. All plastic beverage containers returned for refund in Nova Scotia are processed by Novapet.
2. EPR Oversight Fees: Divert NS acts as the Administrator for the Extended Producer Responsibility program for Packaging, Paper Products, and Packaging-Like Products (EPR for PPP) Regulations, collecting oversight fees from producers who supply packaging and paper products into Nova Scotia.
3. Government Funding and Grants: As a not-for-profit organization, Divert NS receives government funding to support its programs and initiatives for waste reduction and environmental sustainability in Nova Scotia.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Divert NS manages and administers province-wide waste diversion and recycling programs across Nova Scotia, including beverage container deposit-refund, used tire recycling, paint, electronics, household hazardous waste, medical waste, organics, and textiles recycling, operating a network of 77+ Enviro-Depot drop-off locations. It also administers the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program for packaging and paper products on behalf of producers and disburses funding to municipalities, businesses, and researchers to advance recycling infrastructure and innovation.

Product overview

Divert NS operates as a not-for-profit organization (registered business name of the Resource Recovery Fund Board, Inc.) providing a comprehensive portfolio of waste diversion and recycling programs across Nova Scotia. The core infrastructure includes the Enviro-Depot Network with over 77 locations for drop-off of various recyclable materials. The flagship programs are the Nova Scotia Beverage Container Deposit Refund Program and Used Tire Programs. Divert NS also serves as the Administrator for the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Packaging, Paper, and Packaging-Like Products regulations, overseeing producer compliance and data management. Additional offerings include educational programs through Waste Not News (WNN), the Mobius Awards of Environmental Excellence, various funding programs (Value-Added Manufacturing, Municipal Funding, Research & Development, Student Research Grants), and community engagement initiatives like the Ocean Action Zone exhibit and Ocean Action Camps. The organization also facilitates litter programs including Adopt-A-Highway and The Great NS Pick-Me-Up through partnerships with Coastal Action.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Enviro-Depot Network

Quantifiable outcome

• Responsibility and cost of collecting, sorting and processing recyclables shifted from municipalities to producers
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Divert NS partnered with ISANS to provide $50,000 in funding for micro-grants to immigrant-owned businesses to support waste diversion solutions. The program delivered through two intakes in November 2024 and January 2025, with 30 businesses awarded grants totaling $50,000.
• Circular MaterialscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Circular Materials is the registered Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in Nova Scotia for the EPR for PPP program. They work on behalf of all producers to facilitate and manage curbside recycling programs, contracting municipalities for collection services.
• Discovery CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership began in 2021 with the development of the Ocean Action Zone, an interactive exhibit where visitors can explore the impacts of waste on the marine environment. The partnership was refreshed in 2024 for grades 7 & 8 educational programming and includes the Ocean Action Camp for youth.
• Clean FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDivert NS partners with the Clean Foundation's Clean Leadership Summer Internship Program to fund internship positions within Nova Scotia's waste management sector. In 2024, Divert NS funded 11 internship opportunities across the province.
• DirectioNS CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDivert NS provided $100,000 to DirectioNS Council for 2021-2022 to finance waste diversion initiatives by their member agencies and approved partner agencies. DirectioNS Council represents 30 member agencies assisting persons with disabilities in Nova Scotia.
• EcoTank CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDivert NS partnered with EcoTank Canada through Research & Development funding to pilot an innovative windshield washer fluid dispenser system at gas stations. 37 dispenser units were piloted at 15 stations in the Halifax area, potentially reducing over 1.2 million plastic jugs annually.
• Oberland Agriscience Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDivert NS provided $275,000 in total funding to Oberland Agriscience ($75,000 in 2017 for pilot facility, $200,000 for commercial scale facility expansion) to support the company's zero-waste insect protein production facility that diverts organic waste.
• Novapet Inc. (NovaPet)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDivert NS provided $238,000 in Value-Added Manufacturing funding to Novapet in 2021 to upgrade their second recycling processing line. Novapet processes beverage containers returned for refund in Nova Scotia, handling over 5,400 tonnes of recycled PET annually.
• Halifax C&D RecyclingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDivert NS provided $95,750 through Value-Added Manufacturing Funding to establish a new manufacturing facility to produce blasting mats from end-of-life highway truck tires. The facility is expected to divert over 1,500 tonnes of tires annually.
• YORKS TimberstoneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDivert NS provided $121,000 in value-added funding to YORKS Timberstone to purchase processing equipment for their heritage wood upcycling operations. YORKS has diverted 6,250 tonnes of waste wood from landfill.
• Skaldyr Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDivert NS is providing $200,000 in financing under the Value-Added Manufacturing Program to Skaldyr to support their commercial scale production plant that transforms seafood waste into high-value ingredients including chitosan, calcium lactate, and marine peptides.
• Riverside International Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDivert NS approved $8,515 contribution to Riverside Lobster International to complete final analytical testing for their CFIA application to have processed lobster shells added as an approved dietary ingredient for livestock feed.
• NS Adopt A Highway and The Great NS Pick Me UpminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDivert NS supports litter programs facilitated by Coastal Action that encourage community groups and workplaces to organize litter cleanups, provide resources such as gloves and bags, and enable participants to report data on litter collected.
• Waste CheckminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDivert NS funded Waste Check to implement litter reduction interventions including restaurant drive-thru bins and arena sorting stations to test and demonstrate effective litter reduction strategies.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Recycle BC: Recycle BC is the producer-funded, not-for-profit organization responsible for residential packaging and paper recycling in British Columbia. Like Divert NS, it operates as an EPR administrator managing stewardship/oversight fees from producers and coordinating curbside collection — directly comparable in mandate, funding model, and program scope.
• Stewardship Ontario: Stewardship Ontario administers the Blue Box program for printed paper and packaging in Ontario under the province's EPR framework. It is a producer-funded industry stewardship organization with the same oversight and compliance role that Divert NS holds in Nova Scotia.
• Circular Materials: Circular Materials is a national Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) representing producers of packaging and paper, and is Divert NS's contracted PRO partner in Nova Scotia. It directly mirrors the PRO/administrator roles that operate across Canada's EPR landscape.
• Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ): ÉEQ is a Quebec-based producer responsibility organization that manages curbside recycling, deposit programs, and EPR-related funding. It is a comparable French-Canadian EPR administrator with similar oversight, funding, and educational program functions to Divert NS.

Regional players

• Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB) / Recycle NL: MMSB, now operating as Recycle NL, administers waste diversion programs in Newfoundland and Labrador under a similar stewardship model. It is comparable as a small-province Canadian EPR/stewardship administrator with regional scope.
• Alberta Recycling Council: The Alberta Recycling Council coordinates waste management education and recycling programs in Alberta. While not a direct EPR administrator, it performs similar stewardship education and stakeholder coordination functions to Divert NS in a different Canadian province.

Emerging players

• Call2Recycle Canada: Call2Recycle Canada operates consumer battery and cellphone stewardship programs nationwide, similar to Divert NS's Enviro-Depot acceptance of household batteries and cellphones. It is a product-stream-comparable stewardship program operator.
• Product Care Association of Canada: Product Care operates recycling programs for paint, household hazardous waste, and other products in multiple Canadian provinces — directly comparable to Divert NS's paint recycling and household hazardous waste programs.

Broad incumbents

• Encorp Pacific (Return-It): Encorp Pacific operates British Columbia's Return-It beverage container deposit-refund network — directly analogous to Divert NS's Enviro-Depot beverage container deposit-refund program and a comparable deposit-return system operator in another Canadian province.

Others

• CleanFoundation (Clean Nova Scotia / Clean Foundation): Clean Foundation is a Nova Scotia environmental non-profit that delivers environmental education and internship programs in partnership with Divert NS. It is thematically related as a regional environmental stewardship organization with comparable educational programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/divertns
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzGO9_6RJ-Z3YD6tGN3V0_Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/DivertNS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/divert-ns
• Instagraminstagram.com/divertns

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Divert Ns