Government plans to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030; set to ban six categories of single-use plastic items, introduce minimum recycled content requirements, extend producer responsibility, legally classify plastic items as toxic; proposed plan open for public comment until December 9, 2020
FPF comment: Canadian pollution prevention notice for plastic food packaging
Food Packaging Forum (FPF) submits comment to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) on the development of a pollution prevention planning notice for food plastic packaging; FPF highlights aspects of chemical safety and circularity for ECCC to consider; primarily (i) chemical migration, (ii) supporting safe reuse, and (iii) standards for compostable materials
Canada intends to approach PFAS as single class
Canadian government announces intention to consider per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as single class; will continue to support PFAS related research, collect information on how to implement approach, review implementation of other jurisdictions; plans to publish overview report in 2023; approach open for stakeholder feedback about challenges and opportunities
2022 buying green report finds interest in sustainable packaging is stable
Survey by Trivium Packaging of 15,000 consumers in Europe and the Americas finds demand for sustainable packaging remains high; 66% of respondents consider sustainable packaging materials important, 86% of consumers aged 18-44 willing to pay more for such products, 74% interested in buying refillable packaging; found purchasing behaviors aligned with values
Canada paves way for future regulations on plastics
Government lists plastic products in Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) as “toxic”; legal step required in order to move forward with new regulation, product restrictions; will support government in implementing national plastic plans
BPA still in food cans
Extensive analysis in the U.S. and Canada finds most food cans still coated with BPA-based epoxy; BPA-free alternatives may be questionable
Health Canada: Bisphenol A from dietary exposure is safe
Health Canada reaffirmed its earlier conclusion that dietary exposure to Bisphenol A is not thought to pose a health risk
Canada publishes BPA survey
Canadian survey detects BPA in 1.5% of samples; BPA migration not considered a public health concern
Efforts to track plastic flows in EU and Canada
EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) publishes improved model of plastic product flows and recycling in the EU; new model design is easy to update when new information becomes publicly available; Canada consulting on a draft plastic products registry to track plastic flows in the country
Canada lists food contact substances as toxic
Canadian government adds 3 substances relevant for food contact materials to country’s list of toxic substances