Plastic waste and pollution reduction

Canadians throw away over 3 million tonnes of plastic waste every year. Only 9% is recycled while the rest ends up in our landfills, waste-to-energy facilities or the environment. Plastic waste and marine litter burdens our economy and threatens the health of the environment including wildlife, rivers, lakes and oceans.

With the longest coastline in the world and one-quarter of the world’s freshwater, Canada has a unique responsibility—and opportunity—to tackle this challenge. By taking urgent action to reduce plastic waste and pollution, we will make our economy stronger and take an important step toward protecting wildlife and the places we love.

It is time to take action! We need to change the way we design, produce, use and dispose of plastics. By working with all levels of government, industry and all Canadians, we can have a zero plastic waste future. Together, we can keep plastics in the economy and out of the environment.