The development and implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) poli-cies to manage e-waste provide multilevel governance frameworks for achievinggreater material circularity. However, the roles and responsibilities that are allocatedto various stakeholders under these policies, which are crucial for program effective-ness, often vary across jurisdictions, and consensus is lacking about the best types ofrelationships and collaboration that should govern municipalities' contributions toEPR programs. Against this backdrop, and since this issue is poorly researched, weconducted an empirical investigation to identify the main drivers and barriersinfluencing municipalities' collaboration with an e-waste EPR program in a Canadianprovince where municipalities are free to decide whether or not to engage with theprogram. Based on our study, we explore policy implications for similar programs inother jurisdictions, and propose questions for further research. Our findings identifykey motivations for collaboration, including perceived program legitimacy, programfunding, and logistical efficiencies. Conversely, a lack of program transparency, failureto support local employment, a focus on recycling instead of reuse, and limited pro-gram scope are identified as disincentives to program participation. Policymaking fore-waste management and circularity need to consider municipalities' interests andcontributions to ensure successful implementation.