Question Period Note: Canadian Action on Plastics

Canadian Action on Plastics

• Plastics are materials used by Canadians on a daily basis. However, their mismanagement as waste is a global concern impacting the environment and the economy.
• In Canada, only 9% of our plastic waste is recycled. About 86% ends up in landfills and 1% enters the environment as litter.
• That is why Canada is taking action. The federal government has committed to ban single-use plastics that cause harm, where warranted and supported by scientific evidence. But this is only one element of our comprehensive approach.
• The Government of Canada is developing consistent extended producer responsibility programs with provinces and territories, investing in research to better understand the value chain and the impacts of plastic pollution, reducing plastic waste in government operations, investing in small and medium Canadian businesses to find innovative solutions, and working with industry to prevent and retrieve lost fishing gear and to reduce plastic waste.
• The Government is working together with provinces and territories to implement the Ocean Plastics Charter and the Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste to move Canada toward a zero plastic future.

• The federal government has a comprehensive agenda to address plastic waste and pollution. It includes banning specific single use plastic products in targeted sectors that cause harm, where warranted and based on scientific evidence and socio-economic considerations; working with provinces and territories to develop consisted extended producer responsibility programs; advancing research to better understand plastics value chain and the impacts of plastic pollution; reducing plastic waste in government operations; funding SMEs and organizations to find and pilot innovative solutions in specific sectors or for specific uses of plastic; working with industry to prevent and retrieve abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear; and collaborating with industry to reduce plastic waste across the value chain.

• The Government of Canada is playing a leadership role in its federal operations by committing to divert at least 75 per cent of its plastic waste by 2030. This will be accomplished through changing federal practices (e.g. reducing the use of unnecessary single use plastics in meetings and events), as well as in the procurement of more sustainable plastic products, such as those that are reusable, recyclable, repairable or are made with recycled plastic content.

• In Canada, about one-third of plastic production is used for packaging. Meanwhile, we only recycle about 9% of plastic waste, most of which is easy to recycle packaging, such as PET bottles.

• There are a number of challenges to recycling single use or short-lived products and packaging. These include their small size, colour and low-density. They are sometimes made with uncommon or multiple resins in the same product which complicate the ability to recycle them. These challenges can be addressed through better product design to ensure that all of these products are easily recycled.

• The federal government has committed to ban single-use plastics that cause harm, where supported by scientific evidence and warranted. Other regulatory actions are also being considered and could include requiring recycled plastic content, and that plastic products are designed to be recycled or repaired.

• Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada are working on a science assessment of plastic pollution. The development of any regulatory measures, including which products will fall under the definition of single-use, will be informed by science and socio-economic considerations and advanced where warranted.

• Solutions will also require collaboration with stakeholders at all stages of the plastics value chain in order to improve the design, collection and end of life management of all plastics including single use or short-lived plastics, to help keep plastics out of the environment. In November 2018, federal, provincial and territorial environment ministers, through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME), approved in principle the Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste. The Strategy aims to achieve zero plastic waste by keeping plastics in the economy and out of landfills and the environment through solutions to better prevent, reduce, reuse, recover, and clean up plastic waste.

• Ministers also agreed to Canada-wide aspirational waste reduction goals for all materials, including plastics. The goal is to reduce Canada’s waste by 30% by 2030 and 50% by 2040.

• In June 2019, Canadian Environment Ministers released the first of two phases of the Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste. The Phase 1 Action Plan will focus government efforts across a broad range of activities. They include achieving consistent extended producer responsibility programs; a roadmap to address single-use and disposable plastics; support for recycling infrastructure and innovation in plastics manufacturing; and, tools for green procurement practices.

• Phase 2, coming in 2020, will identify actions to: improve consumer, business and institutional awareness; reduce waste and pollution from aquatic activities; advance science; capture and clean-up debris in the environment; and contribute to global action.

Question Period notes as provided by the Department to the Minister’s Office