Omar Khalid
Canadians produce a significant amount of plastic waste, with a large proportion of this waste coming from packaging. Despite having recycling programs in place for over thirty years, Canada's plastic waste management has been inadequate, with a significant amount of plastic ending up in landfills, incinerators, or the environment. While Canadians are willing to recycle, with 97% of households with access to recycling programs utilising them, the country's recycling infrastructure and policies need improvement to effectively manage and reduce plastic waste.
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What You'll Learn
Canadian plastic waste statistics
Canadians produce a lot of plastic waste. In 2019, there were nearly 6.2 million tonnes of plastic in products produced for Canadian consumption, with nearly 2.3 million tonnes of that plastic used for packaging. This is a slight decrease from 2012, when packaging made up two-fifths (40%) of the nearly 5.2 million tonnes of plastic in products for Canadian consumption. However, the amount of plastic in packaging has risen in most years, with one yearly decline from 2015 to 2016.
Canada's plastic waste often ends up in landfills, is burned for fuel, or shipped to other countries for "recycling". In 2019, about half (49.4% or over 1.9 million tonnes) of the over 3.9 million tonnes of disposed plastic waste and scrap was in plastic packaging. Nearly 70% of the plastic in that packaging was in film (1.4 million tonnes) or about one-third (34.3%) of all disposed plastic waste and scrap. In 2022, only 16% of plastic waste in Canada was recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills, waste-to-energy facilities, or staying in the environment. In 2018, 72% of solid waste ended up in landfills or incinerators, while 28% was recycled.
Canada also ships a portion of its plastic waste outside of North America to be processed for "recycling". The majority of this exported waste is sent to countries in Southeast Asia, which often do not have the proper infrastructure to deal with it. As a result, the plastic is either burned or re-enters the environment. Canada's plastic waste has a significant impact on the oceans, with plastic debris found floating on the sea surface, melting out of Arctic sea ice, and sitting at the deepest point of the ocean floor.
Despite these concerning statistics, there are some positive signs. Residents of Prince Edward Island have the best access to at least one recycling program, with 99% of households having access to and using at least one recycling program. Additionally, given access to recycling programs, most Canadian households make use of them, with 97% of households that had access to recycling programs taking advantage of at least one of them. The Canadian government has also taken steps to address the issue, such as listing plastic as Toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) and working towards banning certain single-use plastics.
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Canadian recycling programs
Canada has had recycling programs in place for over thirty years, but the country continues to produce vast amounts of waste. In 2018, Canadians generated 35.6 million tonnes of solid waste, with 694 kg of waste produced per person. The amount of waste that is recycled has grown by 48% between 2002 and 2018, but in 2019, only 9% of waste in Canada was recycled. In 2022, this figure rose to 16% for plastic waste specifically. The rest ends up in landfills, waste-to-energy facilities, or remains in the environment.
Canada has an extremely high rate of plastic waste, with 3 million tonnes generated per year. This is due in part to Canadians' high consumption of plastic, using 1.4% of all plastic produced globally, despite making up less than 0.5% of the world's population. A large proportion of this waste comes from packaging, with each Canadian throwing away about half a kilogram of packaging every day.
Recycling programs in Canada are managed by municipalities and private waste management companies, with support from provincial and territorial governments. Most mid to large municipalities in Canada have recycling programs, relying on curbside collection with either bins, boxes, or bags. However, these systems are not standardized, and the specific processes differ across provinces. For example, certain provinces have container-deposit systems in place for bottles, cans, and other beverage containers. Additionally, some provinces have implemented waste-diverting policies, such as Edmonton's 25-year waste strategy approved in 2020, which aims to reduce landfill waste by 90%.
Despite these efforts, the recycling process for plastics is complex and labour-intensive, and the quality of the recycled product is often lower than that of virgin plastic. As a result, much of the plastic that is collected for recycling ends up being "downcycled" into products that will eventually end up in a dump, rather than being reused for its original purpose.
There have been calls for the federal government to mandate minimum recycled content quotas to increase the demand for recycled materials. In response, the Trudeau government has promised to finalize a regulation banning certain single-use plastics, including straws, checkout bags, Styrofoam takeout containers, six-pack rings, and stir sticks.
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Canadian plastic exports
Canada's plastic exports have been a topic of discussion and concern for environmental advocates, who are calling for increased transparency in the trade. Canada's plastic waste exports have historically been sent to various countries, with China previously being a major recipient. However, after China's restrictions in 2017, Canada had to find other destinations for its plastic waste exports.
In 2016, before China's waste ban, 56% of Canada's plastic waste exports originated in Ontario, 20% from Quebec, and 15% from British Columbia, collectively accounting for 90% of the country's total plastic waste exports. Following China's ban, Canada's exports were redirected to other countries, including Malaysia, India, and Thailand. However, these arrangements were temporary as these countries also tightened their policies on plastic waste imports.
By 2022, the United States had become Canada's primary partner for plastic waste exports, receiving 91% of the total. This shift has resulted in a significant change in the provincial distribution of plastic waste exports. In 2021, Ontario's share increased to 62%, while Quebec's share rose to 24%. In contrast, British Columbia's contribution dropped to just 5%. Despite this, the overall volume of plastic waste exports from Canada decreased by approximately 30% between 2016 and 2022.
While Canada has implemented recycling programs, the majority of plastic packaging still ends up in landfills or is burned for fuel. The recycling process for flexible plastics is labour-intensive and costly, and the recycled product often cannot compete with virgin materials in terms of quality. As a result, recycled flexible plastics are frequently "downcycled" into products that will eventually end up in landfills.
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Canadian plastic reduction initiatives
Canada has implemented several initiatives to reduce plastic waste and pollution, recognizing the negative impact of plastic on the environment and human health. Here is a detailed overview of some of the key Canadian plastic reduction initiatives:
Canada's Zero Plastic Waste Agenda:
Canada has committed to a comprehensive plan, Canada's Zero Plastic Waste Agenda, to address plastic waste and pollution. This includes working with various levels of government, industries, non-profit organizations, and communities to implement solutions. As part of this agenda, Canada has contributed financially to global efforts, such as the G7 Innovation Challenge to Address Marine Plastic Litter, and has also invested in domestic projects, allocating over $5 million for education, community science, and cleanup initiatives.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programs:
Canada is implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs, which hold companies that manufacture plastic products or use plastic packaging accountable for the end-of-life management of their products and packaging. This initiative promotes a circular economy and ensures that producers are responsible for the collection and recycling of their plastic waste.
Banning Single-Use Plastics:
The Canadian government has taken steps to ban certain harmful single-use plastics, including straws, checkout bags, Styrofoam takeout containers, six-pack ring carriers, and stir sticks. These bans aim to reduce the prevalence of plastic waste and encourage more sustainable alternatives.
Canada's Plastics Science Agenda (CaPSA):
CaPSA, released in July 2019, is a framework that guides future science and research investments in the plastics lifecycle. It helps identify knowledge gaps and prioritize research areas. Initiatives like the Increasing Knowledge on Plastics Pollution and Plastics Science for a Cleaner Future are examples of Canada's efforts to address key knowledge gaps and inform policy decisions.
International Cooperation:
Canada is actively engaged with international partners, such as the G7, G20, the Arctic Council, and various United Nations bodies, to address plastic waste and marine litter. Canada has contributed $100 million to assist developing countries in preventing plastic waste from entering oceans, managing existing plastic resources, and addressing plastic waste on shorelines.
Canadian Plastics Innovation Challenge:
The Canadian government, through the Canadian Plastics Innovation Challenge, is supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in finding innovative ways to reduce plastic waste. This includes improving plastic recycling through artificial intelligence and developing technologies for bioplastics.
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Canadian plastic recycling challenges
Canada has had recycling programs in place for over thirty years, but plastic waste remains a significant challenge for the country. In 2016, more than 3.2 million metric tonnes of plastic ended up as garbage, and in 2018, only 16% of plastic waste in Canada was recycled. The vast majority of plastic waste in Canada ends up in landfills, is burned for fuel, or stays in the environment. This is due in part to the labour-intensive and expensive nature of recycling flexible plastics, as well as the lack of incentive for companies to recycle if there is no profit to be made.
While Canadians have access to recycling programs and are willing to use them, the recycling infrastructure is not always in place to handle the waste. As a result, a portion of Canada's plastic waste is sent outside of North America to be 'recycled'. However, this exported waste often ends up being incinerated or entering the environment in countries that do not have the proper infrastructure to process it.
Another challenge is the prevalence of single-use plastics in Canada. Over one-third of plastics in the country are created for single-use products or packaging, and each Canadian throws away about half a kilogram of packaging each day. This has led to an increase in waste production per person, with Canadians producing 694 kg of waste per person in 2018, up from 366 kg in 2000.
To address these challenges, the Canadian government has proposed a regulatory framework for plastic packaging and certain single-use plastics, which includes recycled content requirements and labelling rules for recyclability and compostability. The government has also promised to ban certain single-use plastics and is working towards its goal of zero plastic waste. However, some advocates believe that the government should go further by mandating minimum recycled content quotas for plastic products to increase the demand for recycled materials.
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Frequently asked questions
Canadians produce 3.3 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, with 2.8 million tonnes ending up in landfills. In 2018, the total amount of plastic waste generated was 4.4 million tonnes.
Only about 8-16% of plastic waste in Canada is recycled. The rest ends up in landfills, incinerators, or the environment.
The Canadian government is working towards banning certain single-use plastics, such as straws, checkout bags, and Styrofoam containers. They are also developing recycled content and labelling rules for plastic packaging.
One challenge is that recycling flexible plastics is labour-intensive and expensive. Additionally, there is a lack of reliable and accessible information, complex packaging designs, and poor recycling outcomes that discourage participation in recycling programs.
