Plastic Manufactured Items Added to Toxic List

Summary#

On April 23, 2021, the federal government added "plastic manufactured items" to Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. This listing does not itself ban or regulate products. It gives the government a legal basis to propose future rules or other measures to reduce plastic pollution.

What it does#

• Adds "plastic manufactured items" to Schedule 1 (the List of Toxic Substances) under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.
• Allows the ministers to develop and propose risk-management actions under that Act that target certain plastic products and how they are made, used, or disposed of.
• Does not, by itself, impose any new rules, bans, or fees. Any specific regulations or requirements would be proposed later, with analysis and public consultations.
• The order came into force on the day it was registered (April 23, 2021).

Who's affected#

• Manufacturers and importers of plastic products, including packaging makers and makers of single-use plastic items.
• Retailers, waste managers, recyclers, and companies that handle plastic in supply chains.
• Municipalities and provinces that run waste collection and recycling programs.
• Consumers, because future measures could change what products are available or how they are handled at end of life.
• Environmental groups and the broader public who pushed for federal action (the government said it received about 23,000 emails and a petition with over 100,000 signatures).
• Some industry groups opposed the listing (about 123 industry associations or companies raised objections, and the government received 60 written notices of objection, 52 of which asked for a board of review).

It is not yet clear which specific plastic products will be targeted by future measures. That will be decided during the risk-management development process.

Why it matters#

• This gives the federal government a formal tool to address plastic pollution across the lifecycle of products — from design and manufacture to disposal. That could lead to measures such as producer-responsibility rules, bans on certain single-use items, or design requirements to make products easier to recycle.
• The decision follows a science assessment that found macroplastic pollution can harm wildlife and habitats; the evidence about human-health risks from microplastics is still uncertain.
• The listing aims to support Canada’s broader goal to cut plastic pollution and move toward zero plastic waste by 2030, but what that means in practice will depend on future proposals, cost-benefit analyses, and consultations.