An alert to its membership was issued on May 6 by the International Fresh Produce Association regarding a recent notice from the Canadian government about its new “Plastics Registry.”
According to the IFPA, the Government of Canada “has announced a new Federal Plastics Registry which will require businesses to report on the quantity and types of plastic they put into the Canadian market.”
The IFPA noted in an email that it had sought clarification from Canadian government officials regarding the announcement as of the afternoon of May 6.
“In the notice, the Canadian Government provides details about who will be responsible for contributing to the registry, what details they will be required to share, and notice that this data will be required no later than September 29, 2025, for the 2024 year,” the IFPA email said.
The information will be collected via an online portal. Who is responsible for submitting information will depend on the specific plastic product category relevant to each business and may change if any exemptions are announced in future.”
The IFPA said that at this point, groups expected to report include manufacturers and importers of plastic resins, producers of plastic products, generators of packaging and plastic product waste, service providers like waste collections and disposal businesses, and more.
“The only stated exemptions are related to those who manage, manufacture, or generate less than 1000 kg of plastic products or packaging per year,” the Association added.
“The criteria for who is responsible is very broad reaching and IFPA made several inquiries to ECCC, the issuing department, to obtain a definition of ‘generators of packaging and plastic waste,’ but has not received a response yet,” it added. And it said, “In the meantime, we recommend that you seek advice from your legal counsel to determine your responsibility and requirements for compliance.”
Additional information is available from Environment and Climate Change Canada at
https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2024/04/the-government-of-canada-requires-producers-to-take-more-responsibility-for-the-plastic-they-put-on-the-market0.html, which states “ Government of Canada announced the new Federal Plastics Registry, a tool to compel plastic producers and other companies across the plastics value chain to help monitor and track plastic from the time it is produced up to its end of life.” The site goes on to say, “By better tracking plastic through its full life cycle, both governments and industry will be better equipped to address plastic waste and pollution through increased transparency and sound, robust, evidence-based decision-making. This announcement helps set the tone for the kinds of measures Canada hopes to encourage the world to move toward…” during a week in April when Ottawa was the site of the fourth session of “negotiations toward a new global agreement on plastic pollution.”
At https://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2024/2024-04-20/html/notice-avis-eng.html Environment and Climate Change Canada provides an expansive list of products that fall under the registry criteria and include agricultural and horticultural film and sheeting (e.g. for silage, mulch, flooring, plant protection) and net wrap.
