This summer (July 25), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) launched a Consultation Paper on Rules to Strengthen Recycling and Composting of Plastics Through Accurate Labelling. This consultation is the next evolution in the Government’s Action Plan on tackling plastic waste and follows previous consultations earlier this year on the establishment of a possible ‘recycled content minimum’ for plastic packaging.
Through this effort, the Government of Canada intends to introduce labelling rules that prohibit the use of the chasing-arrows symbol on plastic products unless 80 per cent of Canada’s recycling facilities accept, and have reliable end markets for, these products. These rules would seek to improve plastic packaging design, improve public participation in recycling systems, reinforce public trust in recycling, and improve the performance of recycling systems to generate more and higher-quality post-consumer recycled plastics. In addition, the Government is proposing to introduce rules to regulate the use of terms such as “compostable”, “degradable” or “biodegradable” in the labelling of plastic packaging and single-use items.
The Government is holding “Overview of Labelling Rules for Recyclability and Compostability” consultation sessions on September 8. Interested stakeholders can register at the following links:
Thursday, September 8, 2022, 1:00 p.m.—2:00 p.m. ET (ENG)
Thursday, September 8, 2022, 3:00 p.m.—4:00 p.m. ET (FR)
CA is holding a special session with our RAIS and PCMA technical committees on September 13 to discuss the details of the Government’s proposal and to gather member input. As this issue is not unique to the cosmetics and personal care products industry, CA will also be reaching out to our allied trade associations to collaborate and coordinate our advocacy efforts.
For more details on the consultation paper, please refer to our recent Regulatory Essentials member communication found here.
Federal Plastics Registry for the Producers of Plastic Products
Of interest to some members, a second Consultation Paper was also issued on July 25 proposing a Federal Plastics Registry for the Producers of Plastic Products. Stakeholders have the opportunity to provide input on how the Government of Canada could establish a federal plastics registry and require producers of plastic products to report on plastics in the Canadian economy. The federal plastics registry would support provincial and territorial extended producer responsibility systems by harmonizing how data is collected and made available to Canadians. This will improve the transparency of plastics recycling systems across Canada and support higher rates of value recovery.
CA Canada is reviewing this proposal for how it could impact members and will keep you informed of developments.
