Canada Opens Consultation for Federal Plastics Registry

By Krystal Spickler, program manager, Supply Chain team, UL Solutions

On December 30, 2023, a Notice of Intent was published in the Canada Gazette formally announcing the government’s plans to establish a Federal Plastics Registry. This action is being taken under section 46 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA, 1999), which grants the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) the authority to gather information to meet obligations or enable decision making under CEPA, 1999.

The notice would require producers of plastic products across a wide range of resins and industries and those that manage plastics or plastic products for diversion (such as recycling, chemical processing, refurbishing, etc.) to report. Product categories include packaging, single-use products, electronic and electrical equipment (EEE), tires, transportation, construction components, white goods, agricultural or horticultural equipment, fishing and aquaculture equipment, and textiles and apparel. Producers are defined hierarchically as “a brand owner or intellectual property holder who resides in Canada. If the brand owner is not a resident of Canada, then the first resident person to manufacture or import a plastic product in Canada is defined as the producer. If there is no resident manufacturer or importer, then the first resident person to distribute a plastic product in Canada is defined as the producer. If there is no resident importer or distributor, then the first resident person who supplied the plastic product to the consumer in Canada is defined as the producer.”

Reportable information is to be collected through an online portal. This information includes the identity of the resins used, the source of the resins, the category and subcategory of the plastic products, the total tonnage of plastic in products, and detailed data on how quantities of plastic are managed at end of life or diverted through various means.

Reporting would be phased across calendar years 2024, 2025, and 2026, with reporting for the previous year due not any later than Sept 29 of the following (i.e., information for 2024 is required no later than Sept. 29, 2025). The following table provides a high-level overview of the schedule, but the Schedule 5 of the full notice should be consulted for detail:

The consultation is accepting comments until February 13, 2024. Interested parties will find detail on how to submit feedback linked below.

Previously in April 2023, ECCC published a technical paper that summarizes the technical aspects and reporting criteria being considered for inclusion in the Registry. Feedback from a prior consultation held in summer 2022 was incorporated into it.

Resources

Canada Gazette, Part 1, Volume 157, Number 52: GOVERNMENT NOTICES

Provide Feedback for the NOI regarding the Federal Plastics Registry

Federal Plastics Registry Landing (Technical paper and prior consultation)