Question Period Note: Federal Government Action on Plastic Waste and Pollution

The Government of Canada is implementing an ambitious, evidence-based and comprehensive plan to reduce plastic waste and pollution and move toward a strong and resilient circular plastics economy that works for all and protects the environment and human health.

• Canadians are concerned about the health and environmental impacts of plastics and expect governments to take action to address plastic pollution.
• The Government of Canada is implementing an ambitious, evidence-based and comprehensive plan to reduce plastic waste and pollution. It is moving towards a strong and resilient circular plastics economy that works for all and protects the environment and human health. Working with partners, Canada’s plan advances a range of complementary actions across the plastics lifecycle.
• Canada remains firmly committed to securing an ambitious, effective, and fit-for-purpose global treaty to end plastic pollution that spans the entire life cycle of plastics. Given the importance of this treaty, Canada believes it is essential to take the necessary time, without undue delay, to secure a strong, credible agreement.

• Plastic is an important part of the economy and the daily lives of Canadians; however, the way plastics are made, used, and disposed of is not environmentally nor economically sustainable.
• Most plastic is made and used for its one intended purpose and then ends up in landfills, incinerators, or as pollution that litters our beaches, rivers, parks, and oceans, harming wildlife and damaging habitats.
• In Canada, almost 5 million tonnes of plastic waste was produced in 2021, while global plastic production and waste is set to triple by 2060, with plastic pollution projected to grow 2.5 times from 2015 levels by 2040 unless we take action now.
• The Government of Canada remains committed to addressing plastic pollution and will keep working with provinces, territories, Indigenous partners, industry, civil society, and others to improve how plastic is made, used, and managed in Canada. By enabling systems and behaviour that keep plastics in the economy and out of the environment, Canada aims to build a strong and resilient circular plastics economy for all that protects the environment and human health.
• Canada’s approach is grounded in evidence. The Government continues to conduct and invest in science to inform actions and measure progress over time. The Government is also advancing and supporting initiatives, in alignment with the waste hierarchy, to prevent plastic pollution and improve how plastics are made, used, and managed. This includes banning harmful plastic products, enabling and investing in Canada-made innovations and targeted solutions for a systematic shift toward a circular economy, giving Canadians more options to choose sustainable products and systems; greening operations and procurement; and addressing plastic pollution, including through the prevention and removal of lost fishing gear.
• The federal, provincial and territorial governments are working together, through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, to implement the Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste and Action Plan. This includes developing guidance for governments, industry and others to make producers responsible for the waste that their products generate, helping Canadians make informed decisions about the plastics they buy and use, and preventing plastic pollution from sources such as stormwater, industrial releases, and natural disasters and spills.
• With innovation, coordination and collaboration, plastic pollution and waste can be reduced, keeping plastics in the economy and out of the environment.

Non-applicable