Plastics

Canada’s Federal Plastics Ruling: Legal Clarity and the Need to Shift Toward Solutions

Plastics / By

On January 30, 2026, the Federal Court of Appeal upheld the federal government’s decision to list “plastic manufactured items” as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). As a result of the unanimous decision, Canada’s Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations remains in effect, maintaining the ban on the manufacture and sale of single-use plastic items. […]

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Environmental Perspective on a New Federal Produce Packaging Study

Packaging, Paper Packaging, Plastics, RPCs / By

A new Canadian federal government study examining the cost implications of reducing plastic packaging for fresh produce sold in Canada provides insight into how the produce sector approaches packaging decisions. While the study focuses on economic and functional considerations, reviewing its findings through an environmental lens raises questions about how sustainable packaging decisions are made

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Why the Global Plastics Treaty Matters for Canada’s Packaging Industry

Packaging, Plastics / By

After nearly three years of negotiations, the sixth round of talks on a global plastics treaty concluded on August 15 in Switzerland. Representatives from 183 countries – including Canada – and more than 400 organizations met to work toward a legally binding agreement addressing plastic pollution across its full lifecycle, from design and production to

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New StatsCan Data Shows Paper Fibres Most Diverted Material

Paper Recycling, Plastics, Recycling Data / By

Statistics Canada recently released the results of its Waste Management Survey[1], which includes national waste diversion data for 2023. In this blog, PPEC breaks down the numbers with a focus on paper fibre diversion, discusses the latest plastic figures in the context of recent federal election platforms, and highlights the importance of recycling data. 2023

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Revisiting Paper Packaging’s Circular Economy as Court Rules on Plastics Ban

Circular Economy, Plastics, Recycled Content, Recycling / By

A Canadian Federal Court recently announced its ruling in response to the lawsuit brought forward by the Responsible Plastic Use Coalition (RPUC), made up of companies from the plastics industry, who requested a judicial review of the federal government’s decision to add plastic manufactured items (PMIs) to the List of Toxic Substances under the Canadian

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What Reducing Plastics Means for the Canadian Paper Packaging Industry

Circular Economy, Paper Packaging, Plastics / By

There are so many policy proposals aimed at addressing plastic packaging right now that it can be hard to keep track of it all. The Paper and Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC) has been working to stay updated on government and industry initiatives aimed at reducing plastics – both in Canada and globally – and

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What does “100% reusable, recyclable, or, where viable alternatives do not exist, recoverable” actually mean?

1 Comment / Plastics, Recyclable / By

These are the words in the Ocean Plastics Charter that Canada signed along with other G7 countries except Japan and the US. But what do they actually mean? First the 100%. That means all, right? Everything. So, there will be no plastic waste then? Or does the 100% only refer to the re-usable part? 100%

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Will plastics problem spur the eventual return of deposits to Ontario?

1 Comment / Blue Box, Paper Recycling, Plastics / By

I love fish. Plastic not so much. This puts me in good company, it seems, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who recently told the World Economic Forum that the “plastics issue” will be the main theme at the G7 leaders’ summit in Charlevoix, Quebec in June. Trudeau’s announcement follows in the footsteps of Coca-Cola saying

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Plastics industry makes false claims for bag study

1 Comment / Paper Bags, Paper Recycling, Plastics / By

The Canadian plastics industry is embellishing the credentials of a study it says proves that plastic bags are more “environmentally friendly” than paper bags. The industry’s website claims that the ULS Report (2007) “was completed according to ISO standards 14040-14043, and was peer reviewed by North Carolina State University.”  In fact, the ULS study (or

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