Guilbeault Announces Federal Plan to Track Canadian Plastic Production

Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault speaks during a news conference in Ottawa, on Nov. 20, 2023. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang

Ottawa plans to introduce a national plastics registry to track how much plastic is being produced in Canada, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has announced.

“We’re implementing a comprehensive plan to reduce plastic waste and pollution, and today I’m excited to announce a new federal plastic registry which will increase transparency and help make producers responsible,” Mr. Guilbeault said during an April 22 press conference.

Mr. Guilbeault made the announcement a day prior to negotiations for a global treaty to end plastic waste, which aims to put in place an international agreement to eliminate all plastic waste by 2040.

The Canadian registry would apply to makers of plastic packaging, electronics and single-use plastic products, with plans to extend in later years to cover producers of agricultural products, tires and resins. The companies would be required to report how much plastic they make and where the products end up every year.

The aim of the registry is to ensure there’s more “transparency” in Canada around the production of plastics, Mr. Guilbeault told reporters.

“It is hard to tackle a problem if you don’t know what it is, where it is, what’s being produced,” he said, likening the plastic registry to the federal government’s national inventory reports that track greenhouse gas sources.

The environment minister added that plastic-producing industries already track what kind of plastic they produce, who they sell it to, and where it eventually ends up.

“So it’s just a matter of putting it together and making it as accessible to the public to scientists, researchers, NGOs, who will be able to track and follow what is happening with plastic production and plastic use in Canada,” he said.

The rate at which Canadians are consuming plastic is “simply unsustainable,” Mr. Guilbeault said in a press release, saying global action is needed to solve the issue. “We are taking some big steps at home to cut the amount of plastics that go into landfills and the environment, but tackling this problem can’t happen without a global solution.”

Canadians dispose of more than 3 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, with roughly 9 percent being recycled, according to Environment Canada. The remaining plastic ends up in landfills, waste-to-energy facilities, or the environment.

Plastic Bans

The Liberal government has attempted to crack down on plastic pollution, with Mr. Guilbeault announcing back in June 2022 the regulations for the manufacturing and importation of single-use plastic in December 2022. Included in the regulations were plastic checkout bags, cutlery, food service containers, ring carriers, stir sticks and straws.

The government also intended to label “plastic manufactured items” as ”toxic” under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act but the Federal Court rejected a cabinet order that classified the items as such. The Federal Court declared the order “invalid and unlawful,” calling cabinet’s assertion that all plastic-manufactured items are toxic “unreasonable and unconstitutional.” The court also said that the order was unconstitutional because it exceeded Ottawa’s ability to make criminal law.

Mr. Guilbeault said Ottawa would appeal the Federal Court’s decision, claiming the body of scientific evidence had shown plastic pollution has a negative impact on human health.

“We’re finding microbeads of plastics in our brains. It’s affecting fetuses. It’s affecting the growth of our kids. We have to put a stop to that,” he said.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith also expressed concern about Ottawa’s decision to add plastics to the toxic substance list, calling it an example of “federal overreach.”

Dalhousie University’s food analytics lab forecasted in 2023 that the banning of plastics could drive up food prices in Canada.

“It doesn’t matter what alternatives you use, plastics were useful because they are the cheapest of all options,” said Professor Sylvain Charlebois. “And so when you’re replacing plastics, they will actually cost more to keep our food safe and fresh.”