Blue Box Waste was designated by a regulation made under the Waste Diversion Act on September 23, 2002. The Minister of the Environment then requested that Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO) develop a waste diversion program for Blue Box Waste.

WDO developed a diversion program for Blue Box Waste in co-operation with Stewardship Ontario, an industry funding organization incorporated in Ontario to represent stewards of the products and packages in Blue Box Waste.