Ottawa wants to find out how much plastic manufacturers produce and where it ends up

Plastic manufacturers will be required to detail the amount and type of plastic they put on the Canadian market under new rules announced Monday.

The categories covered by the federal government's new registry are broad, including packaging for single-use and disposable products, construction, electronics and transportation.

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said the register “will require plastic manufacturers to take more responsibility for the plastic they put on the market”.

“Every year from now on, they must declare the amount and types of plastics they supply, how these plastics move through the economy and how they are managed at the end of their life,” he told a press conference.

The announcement comes on the eve of an international summit in Ottawa. Negotiators from 176 countries will gather in downtown Ottawa this week for the fourth round of talks to create a global treaty to eliminate plastic waste in less than 20 years.

The registry is part of the federal government's overall effort to reduce plastic waste in Canada. Canadians throw away more than four million tonnes of plastic waste each year, according to the federal government. Only nine percent is recycled, with most ending up in landfill.

One of the federal government's main efforts to address the problem was dealt a blow in November when a judge struck down a key policy supporting a ban on single-use plastics.

Ottawa announced is appealing the decision.

When it comes to the new registry, provinces and territories have similar programs in place, but data collection is inconsistent across jurisdictions, according to an analysis published last year by Environment Canada.

The document said a federal registry would “standardize data” and “provide useful information to stakeholders, the government and Canadians.”

Making producers more responsible

Sabaa Khan, climate director for the David Suzuki Foundation, said the announcement is an important step in making plastics producers more accountable.

Khan said it will be important to ensure that plastic manufacturers are transparent about the types of plastic being produced as some can lead to serious health problems.

“We really need to know what kind of plastic is being produced from a chemical perspective, because at the end of the day, we need to phase out the toxic components,” she said in an interview.

A recent report funded by the Norwegian Research Council found up to 16,000 additives used in the production of plastics.

“Twenty-five percent is known to be harmful,” said Tony Walker, professor of resource and environmental studies at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. “We don't have data on the other 75 percent.

Walker says this information is often proprietary, but is necessary to understand the health impacts of plastic, which is found “in every single environmental compartment on Earth, including us.”

He said Monday's announcement would not force manufacturers to disclose this information, but would shed light on the life cycle of plastics.

Making the connection with fossil fuels

In particular, the registry will make the link between fossil fuels and plastics clearer to the public, said Myra Hird, a professor in the school of environmental studies at Queen's University.

“I think the fact that plastic is derived from fossil fuels is not something we're really used to thinking about,” Hird said on the CBC News Network.

“Canadians will finally get to see … how we start with fossil fuels, fossil fuels produce plastic, and then how plastic is produced … finally how it translates into all the plastic waste that we as consumers, as Canadians deal with”.

The requirements will be phased in, starting in 2025 and continuing through 2027, with exemptions for small producers placing less than one tonne.

Khan said he hopes the registry model will be adopted by other countries at this week's meeting.

Christa Seaman, vice-president of the Chemical Industry Association of Canada's plastics division, which represents plastics companies, welcomed the announcement and will seek more specific guidance going forward.

“We really support the collection of information and data,” Seaman said in an interview.

“It will help not only identify where there will be a need to facilitate a broader understanding of what the potential sources of plastic pollution are, and help us create the policies needed to close those gaps.”