Question Period Note: PLASTIC USE IN AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD

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Plastic Use in Primary Agriculture

In 2021, Canadian primary agriculture used close to 62,000 tonnes of plastics in the process of growing crops and raising livestock. Common uses are fertilizer and pesticide containers, grain bags, silage wrap, baling twine, greenhouse construction, crop mulches/covers, polymer coated seeds and fertilizers, irrigation systems, crates for crop collecting and tile drainage. Plastics provide producers with an economical and reliable way to extend their growing season, increase storage, reduce inputs like pesticides and fertilizers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve yield and preserve feed.

Efforts to improve the management of plastic waste on farms have focused on collaboration with Cleanfarms, a national not-for-profit industry stewardship organization that has programs in place across Canada to recover and manage non-organic and mostly plastic farm waste. Cleanfarms received federal funding for a four-year project (2020-2024) through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program.

In addition to on-farm plastic waste, microplastics can accumulate in soil, including biosolids applied as fertilizers or polymers used for encapsulation of pesticides, fertilizers, seed coatings, and soil conditioners. AAFC continues to work alongside Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), the lead regulatory body on Zero Plastic Waste, to better understand the impacts of plastic pollution on soil. There are no regulations or initiatives in place to reduce or mitigate microplastic accumulation in Canada’s farm soil.

Plastic Use in Food Packaging

The majority of food and beverages sold at grocery stores are packaged in single-use plastic, accounting for a third of all plastic packaging in Canada - 700,000 tonnes of plastic used annually - and 10% of total plastic consumption in Canada. Plastic food packaging is used to improve shelf life, for convenience, for marketing purposes and to maintain quality and safety of food products during transportation and storage. The food industry is the second largest user of plastics in manufacturing, second only to the transportation sector.

The wide variety and complexity of plastic food packaging limits recyclability and can contaminate recycling streams. There are growing concerns over microplastics that are generated when these items degrade in the environment and could cause harm to ecosystems and human health.

While AAFC has no programming dedicated to food packaging, AAFC has provided financial support through AgriInnovate (one project) and the Food Waste Reduction Challenge (two projects), aimed at using agricultural waste to make bioplastic packaging. AAFC has also conducted its own research related to bioplastics.

Plastic Pollution Reduction Measures in the Agriculture and Agri-Food Sector

ECCC is the federal lead working to reduce plastic waste in all sectors of the economy through regulatory and non-regulatory measures. Initiatives aimed at reducing plastic are not expected to significantly impact the primary agriculture sector, however these measures could have a significant impact on the food industry. In 2025, ECCC launched the Federal Plastics Registry requiring all businesses to report annually on:
o the quantity and types of plastic they place on the Canadian market;
o how it moves through the economy; and,
o how it is managed at its end-of-life.

Other measures have been proposed that would improve labels for recycling plastic packaging, increase the use of post-consumer recycled plastic into newly manufactured packaging, and direct processors and large retailers to develop plans to reduce plastic used in food packaging. Proposals depend on the outcome of a court case, anticipated in 2025, related to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).

The federal government is only able to regulate substances for environmental protection if they are listed as toxic under CEPA. As a result, ECCC moved to add “plastic manufactured items” to the list of toxic substances on Schedule 1 of CEPA through an Order in Council (OIC) on May 12, 2021. A case against the OIC was brought forward by a coalition of plastic companies, including Dow Chemical, Imperial Oil and Nova Chemicals (and supported by the Government of Alberta). In November 2023, a Federal Court judge ruled that the federal government’s decision to list plastic items as toxic was unreasonable and unconstitutional, writing that the category of plastic manufactured items was too broad to be given a blanket toxicity label under federal law. The federal government has appealed this decision, and the case is currently underway at the Federal Court of Appeals.

Efforts to reduce plastics by processors and retailers may affect access to imported products. Additionally, if the sector is unable to find adequate alternatives to plastics, several undesirable consequences could emerge, including: reduced shelf life and increased product damage; decreased supply chain efficiencies, impacts on product availability and value-added options, and less microbial control and increased external contamination, particularly for cut and pre-prepared fruits and vegetables.

• Farmers and food processors are cutting plastic use and embracing sustainable practices.

• The Government of Canada is funding on-farm plastic waste reduction and researching renewable, bio-based alternatives.

• We are committed to helping the agriculture and food sector achieve Zero Plastic Waste by 2030, working with partners across the value chain to guide smart, effective policies.