Plastic bottles in a recycling bin, January 2, 2023. Image: Randy Thoms/Acadia Broadcasting
The federal government is looking at setting up a registry as a way of reducing plastic pollution.
The registry would be used to track plastic products from the time they are produced until their end of life.
Producers would be required to report the quantity and types of places being produced.
They would also have to identify how to manage the waste when the products are no longer required by consumers.
The government says the information collected would be used to measure progress toward zero plastic waste.
“Canadians are demanding action to tackle the plastic waste and pollution crisis, and the federal government will continue to act. The Federal Plastics Registry is an important tool that will help track and manage plastics across the economy. It will support provinces and territories in making producers responsible for their plastic waste at end of life and help move Canada toward a circular economy for plastics,” states Steven Guilbeault, the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
It would also coincide with provincial reporting requirements already in place.
In 2019, Canadians threw away 4.4 million tonnes of plastic waste, yet only 9 per cent was recycled.
The government is now seeking feedback on the proposal.