Policy Framework
National Action Plan
Name:
- Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste
- Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste (Phase 1 and Phase 2)
Brief Description:
The Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste and its comprehensive Action Plan are moving Canada towards a circular plastics economy and addressing plastic waste and pollution. In 2018, federal, provincial and territorial governments, through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, approved the Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste, which outlines a vision to keep all plastics in the economy and out of the environment. As such, the Strategy identifies areas where improvements are needed across the plastic lifecycle as well as the opportunities for economic growth at every stage of a circular plastics economy. The Strategy aligns with the Ocean Plastics Charter, which was a key outcome of Canada’s G7 presidency in 2018.
In 2019, the Council adopted Phase 1 of the Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste, which focuses government efforts across a broad range of activities, including: support for recycling infrastructure and innovation in plastics manufacturing, tools for green procurement practices, and guidance on best practices. The following year, the Council adopted Phase 2 of the Action Plan, which outlines further actions to reduce plastic pollution, raise awareness, strengthen science and take global action.
As committed under the Action Plan, in 2022, the Council released a Roadmap to Strengthen the Management of Single-use and Disposable Plastics and Guidance to Facilitate Consistent Extended Producer Responsibility Policies and Programs for Plastics
In Preparation
Name:
● Canadian Ghost Gear Action Plan.
Brief Description:
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is undertaking a fundamental change in the way Canadian fisheries are managed to address the challenge of abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG, or ‘ghost gear’). As part of this effort, DFO is developing a Canadian Ghost Gear Action Plan, set to be finalized by 2027.
The Action Plan will provide a national framework with clear steps to reduce gear loss and improve how ghost gear is managed across Canada. The Action Plan will be shaped by extensive engagement and consultation with fish harvesters, Indigenous partners, industry, and other stakeholders. It will also be informed by the feedback of 144 ghost-gear projects, supported by $58.4 in Ghost Gear funding in Canada from 2020-2025. The Action Plan involves changes in gear management regulatory tools, establishing a ghost gear risk assessment matrix for fisheries, and implementing best management practices to prevent gear loss on a fishery by fishery basis.
Legal Framework
Name:
● Canadian Environmental Protection Act
- Microbeads in Toiletries Regulations (2017)
- Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations (2022)
- Federal Plastics Registry (2024)
● Fisheries Act (1985)
● Species at Risk Act (2002)
Brief Description:
Among several Canadian federal acts, regulations and agreements that contribute to the prevention of marine plastic litter, including microplastics, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (the Act) is particularly significant in providing the authority for the Government of Canada to enact regulations and other risk-management tools to address the harmful impacts of certain plastics. Following the addition of plastic microbeads to Schedule 1 of the Act, Canada introduced the Microbeads in Toiletries Regulations in 2017 to ban toiletries that contain microbeads, such as bath and body products, skin cleansers, and toothpaste. In 2022, Canada adopted the Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations, following the addition of plastic manufactured items to the Schedule 1 of the Act, to prohibit the manufacture, import and sale of single-use plastic checkout bags, cutlery, foodservice ware made from or containing problematic plastics, ring carriers, stir sticks, and straws (with exceptions).
In April 2024, Canada published a final notice under Section 46 of the Act to establish a Federal Plastics Registry, which was later launched in March 2025.The registry requires resin manufacturers, producers of packaging and other plastic products, generators of plastic waste, and those who manage plastics for diversion and disposal to report annually on plastics in the Canadian economy. This will create an inventory of data on the life cycle of plastics from resin production to end of life. In doing so, the registry will support the harmonization and improved accessibility of data pertaining to plastics in the Canadian market and will complement science and research activities of the broader federal agenda toward zero plastic waste.
As well, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the Canada Shipping Act, and other enabling legislation provide authority for the federal government to enforce the Cross-border Movement of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations, which were introduced in 2021 to replace the Export and Import of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations. The implementation of these regulations contribute to Canada’s ability to meet its obligations under the Basel Convention (see below) as well as other international and regional agreements.
Canada’s Fisheries Act, which prohibits serious harm to fish and fish habitat from the deposit of deleterious substances into domestic waters, and the Species at Risk Act, which seeks to protect critical habitats of at-risk species, including in the marine environment, provide further authorities for the federal government to prevent and reduce marine plastic litter in Canada.
The Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act plays a specific role in preventing deposits of deleterious substances into Canadian waters and protecting species at risk. As part of the Ghost Gear Program’s regulatory review process, the development of tools such as a dedicated ghost gear regulation or policy is being examined.
Canada also implements its obligations under several legally binding international agreements that contribute to preventing waste and litter, namely: the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal; the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL); and the London Convention and Protocol to prevent marine pollution by dumping at sea.
Canada’s implementation of other international frameworks for action – such as, the Ocean Plastics Charter, G7 Action Plan to Combat Marine Litter, G20 Action Plan on Marine Litter and Implementation Framework, International Maritime Organisation Action Plan to Address Marine Litter from Ships, and the plastics-related United Nations Environment Assembly resolutions – help to inform and support the legal framework to address marine plastic litter.
In Preparation
Name:
Recycled content and labelling rules for plastics: Regulatory framework paper outlining a regulatory proposal published in 2023; publication of proposed regulations is currently on hold awaiting a legal decision from the Federal Court of Appeal before taking further steps.
Brief Description:
On April 18, 2023, the Government of Canada published the Recycled content and labelling rules for plastics: Regulatory framework paper for public consultation, which provided an overview of proposed labelling rules for single-use plastic items and plastic packaging, and minimum recycled content requirements for certain plastic packaging. Draft regulations have not yet been published.
Indicators and/or Targets
■ Plastic Recycling:
Indicators:
Data collection on identity, source and weight in kilogram of plastics chemically or mechanically recycled in the product categories packaging, single use and disposable products, electronic and electrical equipment, agriculture and horticulture, and tires.
■ Plastic Use Reduction:
Indicators:
Data collection on: identity, source and weight in kilogram of resins and plastic products placed on the market, imported, and manufactured in Canada and destined for residential; industrial, commercial and institutional; and construction, renovation and demolition waste streams ; identity, source and weight in kilogram of plastic products generated as waste in industrial, commercial and institutional premises; identity, source and weight in kilogram of plastic products managed for diversion and disposal.
■ Plastic Leakage:
Indicators:
Proportion of discarded plastic leaked permanently into the environment (Plastic leaked permanently into the environment / Total discarded plastic in products) * 100).
■ Ghost Fishing Gear Recovery:
Indicators:
Percentage of wild capture commercial fisheries whose licences are revised for ALDFG (“ghost gear”) best practices based on gear type.
Targets (if any):
20% of wild capture commercial fisheries with revised licences by March 2026.
■ Ghost Fishing Gear Recovery:
Indicators:
Number of commercial fisheries in which in-season ghost gear retrieval and alternatives to plastic gear tags are piloted.
Targets (if any):
3 commercial fisheries for each by March 2025 (Target achieved).
■ Others:
Indicators:
The proportion of Northern Fulmars (bird species) with 0.1 grams or more of plastic in their stomachs.
Brief Description:
The Ocean Plastics Charter, championed by Canada during its 2018 G7 presidency, includes actions across the plastics lifecycle to reduce plastic waste and pollution. Specific targets identified in the Ocean Plastics Charter include:
- Working with industry toward 100% reusable, recyclable, or where viable alternatives do not exist, recoverable plastics by 2030;
- Working with industry toward increasing recycled content by at least 50% in plastic products where applicable by 2030;
- Working with industry and other levels of government to recycle and reuse at least 55% of plastic packaging by 2030 and recover 100% of all plastics by 2040; and
- Working with industry toward reducing the use of plastic microbeads in rinse-off cosmetic and personal-care consumer products, to the extent possible by 2020, and addressing other sources of microplastics.
In alignment with the Ocean Plastics Charter and to support the Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste, Phases 1 and 2 of the Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste identify a comprehensive suite of commitments and milestones, providing a framework for collaborative action to address plastic waste and pollution. Key commitments identified in the Action Plan include facilitating consistent extended producer responsibility programs for plastics across the country; supporting the establishment of national performance requirements for plastics; developing guidance for Canada-wide monitoring to achieve consistent data gathering on plastics in the environment; and maintaining Canada-wide data on plastic use, management and fate in the economy.
To facilitate data collection and analysis needed to support advancing a circular plastics economy, Statistics Canada maintains a Physical Flow Account for Plastic Material(PFAPM). The PFAPM estimates the flow of plastic in tonnes through the Canadian economy, including internationally imported and exported plastic products and sorted and baled plastic waste as well as leakage to the environment, and features breakdowns by product category, resin type, and province and territory.
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s new Federal Plastics Registrywill also require companies to report annually on the quantity and types of plastic they manufacture, import, and place on the Canadian market and how it is managed at its end-of-life. Plastics data collection and governance within the federal government is supported by a Plastics Data Framework that seeks to coordinate plastics data initiatives to identify, prioritize and fill key data gaps to improve progress reporting, minimize duplication of effort, and better disseminate plastics data to users such as researchers and policymakers.
In an effort to lead by example, the Government of Canada’s Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) and Greening Government Strategy also commit to diverting at least 75% by weight of plastic waste from landfills by 2030, eliminate the unnecessary use of plastics, in particular single-use plastics, in government operations, events and meetings, and promote the procurement of goods and services that include criteria that address environmental considerations such as greenhouse gas emissions reduction, plastics waste reduction and/or broader environmental benefits by 2050, to aid the transition to circular plastics economy.
Through the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) program, Canada has established the Plastic particles in the Northern Fulmar indicator. This indicator provides information on the mass of plastic found in the Northern Fulmars’ stomach in birds collected in Canada. The Northern Fulmar is a seabird that feeds exclusively on the surface (top 1 metre) in the open ocean. The indicator reports the proportion of birds with 0.1 g or more of plastic in their stomachs and gives an overview of the situation at the national and the regional levels.
Beyond plastic waste, federal, provincial and territorial governments, through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME), have endorsed a Canada-wide waste reduction goal (for all waste, including plastics): reduce per capita waste (measured in 2014 at 699 kg) by 30% by 2030, and by 50% by 2040. The CESI Solid waste diversion and disposal indicator supports the measurement of progress towards this goal.
Canada has also endorsed relevant international commitments, including the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This includes Target 11.6 (reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management by 2030), Target 12.5 (substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse by 2030), and Target 14.1 (prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution, by 2025). The Osaka Blue Ocean Vision also aims to reduce additional marine plastic pollution to zero by 2050.
Canada, through the Canadian Indicator Framework (CIF), reports on 76 nationally relevant indicators that include Canadian ambitions and targets to measure progress on the SDGs. The CIF indicators relevant to plastics and waste include;
- Indicator 11.6.1 - Total waste disposal per capita,
- Indicator 12.3.1 - Total waste diversion per capita,
- Indicator 12.4.1 - Proportion of discarded plastic leaked permanently into the environment (uses PFAPM data).
Technical Standards, Guidelines and Methodologies
Topics:
■ Production / Manufacturing
■ Waste Management / Recycling ■ Leakage Monitoring
Brief Description:
Notice with respect to reporting of plastic resins and certain plastic products for the Federal Plastics Registry for 2024, 2025 and 2026. The Federal Plastics Registry will monitor the resin type, source, and weight of plastics in the Canadian economy by product category and sub-category from resin production to end of life. Resin manufacturers, producers of plastic products, generators of plastic waste, and those who manage plastics for diversion and disposal will report annually.
Measures
| Measures across Value Chain | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Actions for encouraging sustainable / circular product design (example: improved durability, reparability, recyclability, reduction of material use per product…etc.) | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures: Brief Description: The Action Plan also supports research to promote innovative plastics design, alternatives and technologies that reduce plastic pollution and waste, and enable greater circularity in plastics markets. Canada’s science-based and comprehensive plan to reduce plastic waste and pollution and move towards a circular plastics economy supports a number of efforts to encourage sustainable and circular design, including:
In 2024, Canada solicited feedback from stakeholders on proposed elements of a roadmap for addressing plastic waste and pollution from the textile and apparel sector. |
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| Policy actions for encouraging plastic alternatives, recycled materials at production stage. | Yes / In Preparation | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures:
Brief Description:
In partnership with the Reducing Plastic Waste in Canada Project, Canada co-hosted a Symposium and Policy Dialogue on Reuse to share knowledge and discuss opportunities and barriers to advance reuse in Canada. Canada is also investing in innovation internationally, including $20 million to support the G7 Innovation Challenge to Address Marine Plastic Litter. Use of Recycled Materials (proposed in 2023; on hold awaiting a legal decision):
Brief Description: As part of Canada’s comprehensive plan to reduce plastic waste and pollution, the Government of Canada proposed to develop rules for recyclability and compostability labelling and establish minimum recycled content requirements for plastic packaging. On April 18, 2023, the Government of Canada published the Recycled content and labelling rules for plastics: Regulatory framework paper for public consultation, which provided an overview of the proposed labelling rules for single-use plastic items and plastic packaging, and minimum recycled content requirements for certain plastic packaging. Draft regulations have not yet been published. Brief Description: On August 1, 2023, the Government of Canada published Consultation document Pollution prevention planning notice for primary food plastic packaging: Targets for reduction, reuse, redesign, and recycled content - Canada.ca, which outlined a proposed approach to reduce plastic waste and pollution from primary food plastic packaging. A draft notice has not yet been published. |
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| Steps taken towards restricting microplastics in products. | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures: Regulations on Microplastics Microbeads in Toiletries Regulations Specific Measures: Government Actions on Microplastics Brief Description: As part of Canada’s comprehensive plan to reduce plastic waste and pollution, the Zero Plastic Waste Initiative supported innovative solutions that promote circularity, informed sustainable behaviour, and prevented, captured and removed plastic pollution, including microplastics. Notable projects that focused on microplastics included the development of freshwater plastics detection and removal technology; methods to remove microplastics from biosolids; and community science activities to deploy technology aimed at quantifying and characterizing marine microplastics. Specific Measures: Community actions on microplastics including individual and wider stakeholder involvement (e.g. businesses, coastal community etc.) |
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| Reduce single-use plastic (shopping bags, straws etc.) by regulations or voluntary measures (such as ban, levy, others) | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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■ Regulatory Measures (ex: production ban, Ban on use..etc)
■ Economic Measures (levy, tax, subsidies…etc.) Brief Description: Currently, sub-national governments and communities across Canada are implementing a range of tools to reduce plastic waste, including fees and levies on single-use plastics,
■ Others Brief Description: |
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| Introduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures: Federal, provincial and territorial governments, through the Canadian Council of
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| Improve waste management and recycling system | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures: Enforcement of proper waste management system
Brief Description
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| Promoting plastic waste re-use, recycling and recovery opportunities | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures:
Brief Description: Phase 1 of the Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste focuses government efforts across a broad range of activities, including guidance on performance standards for reuse and recycling programs and support for recycling infrastructure. Canada’s comprehensive plan to reduce plastic waste and pollution also includes efforts to promote value-retention processes, such as reuse, remanufacturing, repair, and refurbishment, to facilitate the transition to a circular economy. Efforts include funding agreements to support reuse projects across various sectors such as reusable foodware for quick-service restaurants (QSR), institutions, and take-out, reusable packaging for personal care and cleaning products, as well as research and feasibility studies in areas like events, grocery settings and life cycle assessments (LCA). |
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| Install capturing trap/filter on drainage/river | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Specific Measures: Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste and Action Plan Under the Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste and Action Plan, federal, provincial and territorial governments, through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, are developing guidance to prevent plastic from entering the environment from known sources and leakage points such as stormwater. |
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| Conduct clean-up activities in rivers/ wetlands/ beaches/ coasts/ coral reefs/ sea floor, involving local communities involving local communities | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures:
Brief Description:
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| Issue-specific Measures | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ＜1＞ Abandoned, Lost and Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Taken/to be taken National Level Action and/or Community Level Action on Clean sea initiatives including ghost net retrieval, ocean-bound plastics etc. | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures:
Brief Description:
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| Taken actions for preventing abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) being generated. | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures: ALDFG/Ghost Gear A priority for the Ghost Gear Program is to prevent marine pollution from ghost gear. To support this, in 2022 a condition of licence was added for all Canadian commercial fisheries prohibiting the discharge of garbage from fishing vessels. This condition, as well as establishing options for disposal and recycling locations across Canada is of critical importance to ensure end of life fishing gear is not abandoned or disposed of at sea by harvesters but brought to shore and disposed of responsibly. Going forward, DFO will focus on the measures required to prevent marine pollution from ghost gear through a Canadian Ghost Gear Action Plan, to be finalized in 2027. The Action Plan will include the establishment of regulatory tools and policies designed to effectively prevent or mitigate the loss of gear in Canada. Canada’s long term ghost gear strategy will consider the role of climate change on fishing gear loss, consider methods to strengthen a cyclical approach to the plastics used in fishing gear, address regulatory impediments to facilitate lost gear retrieval, and seek to develop new methodology to reduce the amount of gear loss in Canadian fisheries. |
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| Created/creating collection/recycling mechanism for ALDFG | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures: ALDFG/Ghost Gear Between 2020-2025, targeted funding was provided by Fisheries and Oceans Canada to ghost gear projects. This included funding projects aimed at responsible disposal and recycling of ALDFG, including augmenting recycling capacity and researching recycling options. $6,291,826 was allocated to 14 projects, which involved:
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| ＜2＞ Port Waste Reception For waste management in ports, please provide details regarding their solid waste management practices/facilities including: |
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| Whether there is an applicable legal framework | - | ||||||||||||||||||||
| The institution(s) responsible for (or playing a central role in, if voluntary action) managing the waste from ships? (example: port management authority, fishers' association...etc.) | - | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Whether ports possess waste reception facilities/systems to handle solid waste from ships, the volume of waste collected and the percentage of ports with waste reception facilities? | - | ||||||||||||||||||||
| The handling procedures for each distinct waste stream once onshore. | - | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Partnership and Innovation | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Boost multi-stakeholder involvement and awareness-raising | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures: Canada’s comprehensive plan to reduce plastic waste and pollution The industry-led Canada Plastics Pact includes over 40 partners, including Environment and Climate Change Canada. The Pact is part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Plastics Pact Network and brings together organizations from the national plastics value chain to collaborate and rethink the way plastic packaging is designed, used and reused to realize a circular economy for plastic in Canada. Canada will continue to work collaboratively with its partners to advance its comprehensive plan at home and abroad, including by working with provinces and territories through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment to implement the Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste and Action Plan. Work is underway to develop guidance for governments, industry and organizations to help inform consumer behaviours, improve the end-of-life management of fishing gear, strengthen monitoring, and to prevent plastic from entering the environment from known sources and leakage points such as stormwater, industrial releases, organic waste and biosolids, and natural disasters and spills.
Specific Measures: ALDFG/Ghost Gear |
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| Encourage/ Incentivize action by private sector companies to reduce/ sustainably manage their plastic waste. | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures: Prevention of littering, illegal dumping and unintentional leakage of waste into the ocean
Brief Description: Through the Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste, federal, provincial and territorial governments have committed to develop guidance or identify best practices to reduce plastic waste entering the environment from: natural disasters and spills; stormwater, wastewater and industrial discharges; and food and organic waste processing and sewage biosolids. As part of Canada’s comprehensive plan to reduce plastic waste and pollution, the Zero Plastic Waste Initiative supported innovative solutions that support circularity, inform sustainable behaviour, and prevent, capture and remove plastic pollution, including microplastics. Through the Commission on Environmental Cooperation, Canada supports efforts to reduce marine litter and continues to work with continental neighbours to prevent litter and waste from entering our waterways. Internationally, Canada has invested CA $115 million to support developing countries in preventing the leakage of plastic waste into the environment. This includes advancing gender equity elements in plastic pollution through the World Bank ProBlue Fund and supporting the development of national action plans in Indonesia, Ghana, Vietnam and Nigeria via. |
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| Encourage public awareness on MPL issues through formal education system and/or curriculum for | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures: Education system and/or curriculum for encouraging public awareness on MPL issues As part of Canada’s comprehensive plan to reduce plastic waste and pollution, the Zero Plastic Waste Initiative supported innovative solutions that promoted circularity, informed sustainable behaviour, and prevented, captured and removed plastic pollution, including microplastics. Notable examples of curriculum development and educational programs include: the Anthropocene Educational Program, the Ocean Plastic Education Kit, the Waste Literacy Education Program, and Climate Kids online game about plastics and oceans. Specific Measures: Canada’s comprehensive plan to reduce plastic waste and pollution The Zero Plastic Waste Initiative supported innovative solutions that promoted circularity, informed sustainable behaviour, and prevented, captured and removed plastic pollution, including microplastics. Notable national projects that focused on raising awareness about marine plastic pollution included the 10,000 Changes campaign to encourage Canadians to commit to reduce plastic waste; and the Plastic Wise pledge to reduce one’s plastic footprint. To inform Canada’s voice in international negotiations to develop a global treaty on plastics, consultation activities to engage the public as well as key stakeholders provide opportunities for the federal government to raise awareness about plastic waste and litter. As part of Canada’s comprehensive plan, the Zero Plastic Waste Initiative supported innovative solutions that promoted circularity, informed sustainable behaviour, and prevented, captured and removed plastic pollution, including microplastics. Notable local projects that focused on raising awareness about marine plastic pollution included Diversion 2.0, a campaign based in the Georgian Bay area of Ontario; the Atlantic Healthy Oceans Initiative in Gros Morne, Newfoundland; and the Clean Harbours Initiative in Newfoundland. Municipal governments and local Organizations also promote campaigns to raise awareness about, and address, local and regional issues related to plastic waste and pollution Specific Measures: Awareness-raising campaigns related to MPL -International/Regional As a member of the Global Partnership on Marine Litter and having pledged to the Clean Seas campaign, Canada supports broader efforts to educate the public and raise awareness. As host of the 4th session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, Canada co-hosted (with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature) a Partnerships Day, which featured high-level representatives from all levels of government, Indigenous Peoples, youth, civil society, and the private sector, to spread awareness and foster collaboration and collective action to end to plastic pollution. Canada also hosted a Plastic Action Zone side events for key partners and stakeholders to raise awareness and showcase innovative action to end plastic pollution. |
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| Promote innovative solutions through Research & Development (e.g., subsidy program, investment fund etc.) | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures: Canadian Plastics Innovation Challenge Program Specific Measures: ALDFG/Ghost Gear
In February 2025, Canada hosted the 2nd International Fishing Gear Innovation Summit, bringing together global experts, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous harvesters, to address fishing gear loss through innovative solutions that support sustainable and prosperous fisheries and communities. |
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| Monitoring, Data Management, Understanding Flow of Plastics/MPL | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Conduct Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of plastic products. What are the challenges if LCA is not conducted? | No | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Conduct Material Flow Analysis (MFA) on plastics. What are the challenges if MFA is not conducted? | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Scope: ■ National |
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| Conduct monitoring / estimation / scientific research on leakage of plastics/microplastics to the natural environment and/or flow of ocean surface. What are the challenges if these actions are not conducted? |
Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures: Scope: ■ National ■ Regional■ Macro Plastics ■ Ocean■ Others: rivers, soils, air etc. Names of Actions:
Brief Description:
International: Through the North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES), Canada is working with partners in the North Pacific on assessing potential indicators for the North Pacific region through a rubric exercise. This work will review the need for bioindicators to track plastic in marine food webs over time, identify baselines and targets, and determine if mitigation targets will be met in the future. Challenges (if applicable): |
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| International Collaboration | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Participate in international cooperation through international organizations, multi-national groups, etc. | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures:
Brief Description:
Canada supports and is working with the global community to develop an ambitious new international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including as inaugural member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, a group of countries committed to developing an ambitious international legally binding instrument based on a comprehensive and circular approach that ensures urgent action and effective interventions along the full lifecycle of plastics and has advocated for an end to plastic pollution by 2040. Canada also served as the host for the fourth negotiation session and launched the Host Country Alliance to help build the political momentum to finalize an ambitious and effective agreement. Canada implements its commitments to other key legally-binding international agreements that contribute to preventing plastic waste and marine litter such as:
Canada is advancing policy, research and actions to reduce plastic waste and marine litter with international partners, such as the G7, the G20, the Arctic Council and various bodies under the United Nations, through a variety of cooperative initiatives and measures including:
Canada has shown leadership at the international level when it comes to tackling marine plastic litter over the past few years. During our 2018 G7 Presidency, Canada made addressing marine plastic litter a key priority on our agenda. This led to the launch of the Ocean Plastics Charter as well as committing $100 million towards a marine plastic litter fund where we have served as lead donors towards the Global Program for the Blue Economy (ProBlue) initiative, the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), Ghost Gear Fund and the Incubation Network. This funding aims to help developing countries prevent plastic waste from entering the oceans, address plastic waste on shorelines, and better manage existing plastic resources. This includes:
During the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4), Canada announced it would be providing $10 million in additional funding for the Global Plastic Action Partnership to support the ongoing development of partnerships in developing countries to tackle plastic pollution, as well as $5 million for the Global Program for the Blue Economy (PROBLUE) to reduce marine plastic pollution, preserve marine biodiversity, promote sustainable economic development, and foster gender equality in coastal economies. Canada advocates for strengthening ghost gear measures at international forums including:
Additionally, through the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), Canada together with the United States and Mexico have embarked on a trilateral multi-year project to address ghost gear in North America. |
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| Support target region by your international cooperation initiatives/projects: South, Central and Southeast Asia | No | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Specific Measures: Canada has provided support to all the target regions identified above through its funding towards key initiatives that address marine plastic litter, including the GPAP. For example, through Canada’s support as a key founding partner and donor to this initiative since 2018, GPAP has been able to launch seventeen national plastic action partnerships (NPAPs) in developing countries to support their countries development of national action plans to tackle plastic pollution. As a key donor to the PROBLUE initiative since 2018, Canada has also been able to provide support in developing countries to support the management of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, address threats posed to ocean health by marine pollution and the sustainable development of key oceanic sector as well as build government capacity to manage marine resources. Canada also was a key donor towards the Incubation Network a multi-country, multi-donor project, that seeks to reduce plastic leaking into the world’s oceans while improving the livelihoods of people, working in waste management and recycling systems in South and Southeast Asia. Canada recently committed additional funding to GPAP and Problue at INC-4, including $10 million CAD to GPAP and $5 million CAD towards ProBlue. |
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Challenges
■ Recycling System Improvement
Waste collection has been inconsistent across Canada. With the implementation of EPR, collection is becoming more consistent within provinces and territories, though there are still differences between provinces and territories. While house dwellings in urban areas in Canada widely have access to collection, there is inconsistent access to collection for other segments of the population including those that live in multi-family residential buildings, and Northern, rural and remote communities.
The Canadian plastic reprocessing sector is well established for packaging materials made from high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), but there is limited capability with the current infrastructure to reprocess other types of plastic materials. Flexible plastics, multi-material items, dark and opaque plastics, or plastic products not designed for recyclability (such as products with difficult to remove labels and adhesives) are difficult to sort and reprocess using current recycling processes without reducing the quality of the recycled material.
Contamination rates in recycling systems in Canada are high. Contamination plays a significant role in reducing recycling yields and can impede the recycling process. Non-recyclable or difficult to recycle material that ends up in the recycling system is known as contamination and leads to much of this material being sent to landfill or contaminating otherwise recycled materials. This reduces recycling yields and increases plastic pollution.
Specific Challenges: Education and Awareness
Consumer awareness and education can pose a challenge in terms of a lack or reduced understanding of how to and what can be recycled across municipalities, due to inconsistencies of recycling infrastructure across Canada. Therefore, it is important to continue to increase knowledge sharing and resources to inform Canadians and raise awareness around this issue.
■ Proper Waste Management System (including lack of local capacity)
Specific Challenges: ALDFG/Ghost Gear
A lack of recycling facilities for end-of-life fishing gear has been identified as a problem for ensuring responsible disposal of fishing gear – targeted funding was provided between 2020-2025 by DFO to establish additional capacity, but lack of facilities remains a challenge.
Inefficient waste management practices disproportionately affect Indigenous populations, equity-seeking groups, and low-income communities. Northern and remote communities face many unique challenges with waste management, such as limited or no access to recycling programs, hazardous household waste disposal options, and properly designed waste management facilities. This results in environmental and health risks for northern communities, especially when open waste burning is used as a disposal method.
■ Data Collection Related to Waste in General
Specific Challenges: Waste trade
Clear and consistent information on the characteristics of waste trade is currently lacking. When waste is traded in bales, there is no standardized mechanism or methodology in place to determine the material or product composition of these bales.
■ Data Collection Related to Marine Plastic Litter
Specific Challenges: ALDFG/Ghost Gear
Prior to 2020, DFO had very limited information on rates of gear loss in Canadian waters. In 2020, Canada implemented mandatory lost gear reporting for all commercial fisheries. Reporting of lost gear is critical to fully understand the amount of gear lost in Canada and the subsequent impacts on marine ecosystems and the environment. Reporting lost gear is part of sustainable management of Canadian fisheries, and as such reporting is now an enforceable requirement of commercial licence conditions. The failure to report lost gear is subject to charges under Canada’s Fisheries Act. To support lost gear reporting requirements, Fisheries and Oceans Canada developed the Fishing Gear Reporting System (FGRS); a user-friendly application for harvesters to report lost and retrieved fishing gear. Though improvements in reporting rates have been made, low compliance on reporting lost gear still exist in certain areas, and DFO will continue to engage industry on the importance of reporting.
Specific Challenges: Data harmonization
A lack of harmonization and coordination in marine plastic litter data collection remains a persistent issue, resulting in limited interoperability between disparate datasets. In some cases, specialized methods are required to accurately determine the material composition of collected litter. Identifying the sources of plastic litter, particularly when it is degraded or fragmented, adds further challenges to efforts aimed at mitigating and reducing environmental leakage. Additionally, the wide range of particle sizes and types, from large debris to microplastics, introduces further challenges, as different sizes require distinct sampling techniques, equipment, analytical methods and data parameters.
■ Lack of Financial Incentives for Waste Treatment in General
■ Lack of Financial Incentives for Technology Development
Specific Challenges: ALDFG/Ghost Gear
Lack of funding to promote technology development related to preventing and reducing the effects of ghost gear has been identified as a challenge going forward as DFO shifts its focus to a preventative strategy on Ghost Gear. DFO has funded projects relating to technological innovation and will continue to work with industry to seek opportunities to promote the uptake, development and trialing of new innovative technologies. In February 2025, Canada hosted the 2nd International Gear Summit, convening Indigenous and non-Indigenous harvesters, technical experts, likeminded nations, and various agencies at all levels to discuss innovative fishing gear and address ghost gear.
Best Practices
■ National Level
- A Roadmap to Strengthen the Management of Single-use and Disposable Plastics (2022)
- Guidance to Facilitate Consistent Extended Producer Responsibility Policies and Programs for Plastics (2022)
- Best Management Practices for Disposal Bans, Levies, and Incentives for End-of-Life Plastics (2021)
- Canada-wide Action Plan for Extended Producer Responsibility (2009)
- Physical flow account for plastic material – Statistics Canada
- Federal Plastics Registry
- Solid waste management for northern and remote communities
- Canadian Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing Operations
- 10,000 Changes (public awareness campaign)
- Ocean Wise Plastic Reduction Program (public awareness campaign)
- The Anthropocene Education Project
- Waste Literacy Education Program
- Ghost gear (dfo-mpo.gc.ca)
■ Local Level
- Ontario Materials Marketplace – Council of the Great Lakes Region
- Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup – Council of the Great Lakes Region
- Diversion 2.0 – Georgian Bay Forever
- Marine Plastic: Local Solutions for a Global Issue – Clean Harbours Initiative
- Plastic Audit Guide – Alberta Plastics Recycling
- Zero Plastic Waste Gros Morne – Atlantic Healthy Oceans Initiative
- Ocean Friendly Nova Scotia – Coastal Action
- British Columbia -- Single-Use and Plastic Waste Prevention Regulation
- Clean Coast, Clean Waters Initiative Fund
■ Private Sector
- The Golden Design Rules for Plastics Packaging – Canada Plastics Pact
- Circular Economy Business Toolkit – National Zero Waste Council
- Preferred Plastics Guide – Canadian Produce Marketing Association
- Operation Clean Sweep – Chemistry Industry Association of Canada
- Medical PVC Recycling Program – Vinyl Institute of Canada
- Roadmap to Support the Circularity and Recycling of Plastics in Canada – CSA Group
- Reuse Refill Canada – Scout Environmental
■ International Cooperation
- The Golden Design Rules for Plastics Packaging – Canada Plastics Pact
- Circular Economy Business Toolkit – National Zero Waste Council
- Preferred Plastics Guide – Canadian Produce Marketing Association
- Operation Clean Sweep – Chemistry Industry Association of Canada
- Medical PVC Recycling Program – Vinyl Institute of Canada
- Roadmap to Support the Circularity and Recycling of Plastics in Canada – CSA Group
- Reuse Refill Canada – Scout Environmental
Further Information
- Canada’s zero plastic waste agenda
- Ocean Plastics Charter
- Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste
- Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste Phase 1
- Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste Phase 2
- Canada’s Plastics Science Agenda
- Science Assessment of Plastic Pollution
- A proposed integrated management approach to plastic products: discussion paper – Canada.ca
- Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
- Microbeads in Toiletries Regulations
- Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations
- Canadian Plastics Innovation Challenges
- Zero Plastic Waste Initiative
- Combatting marine litter: Ghost gear
- Reducing plastic waste in federal operations
- Economic study of the Canadian plastic industry, markets and waste: summary report
- Socio-economic and Environmental Study on Remanufacturing and Other Value-Retention Processes in Canada
- Ghost gear (dfo-mpo.gc.ca)
Contact Details
National Focal Point
Name: Marina Petrovic
Position: Assistant Director National Programs & Manager, Ghost Gear Program
Division: Programs Sector
Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Email: Marina.Petrovic@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
National Focal Point
Name: Sarah Da Silva
Position: Manager
Division: Plastics and Marine Litter Division
Organization: Environment and Climate Change Canada
Email: sarah.dasilva@ec.gc.ca