The Canadian Federal Plastics Registry

Canada has implemented ambitious measures to reduce plastic pollution and help Canadians move towards a circular economy. Accordingly, one of these measures is establishing the Federal Plastics Registry. This initiative mandates certain plastics manufacturers and providers to submit annual reports on the amount and types of plastics they produce, import, and distribute in the market.

What is the Federal Plastics Registry?

Plastic pollution, including microplastic contamination, is a significant concern worldwide. In pursuit of the objective of achieving zero plastic waste by 2030, Canada has enacted several initiatives. On April 20, 2024, Environment and Climate Change Canada published a notice in the Canada Gazette regarding establishing the Federal Plastics Registry. This notice follows the information gathering provision under section 46 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). The registry aims to collect data nationwide to support efforts to combat plastic pollution by keeping plastics within the economy and out of the environment. In other words, this notice mandates companies, including resin manufacturers and plastic product producers, to provide information about specific plastic products to the Minister of the Environment. Consequently, the Minister uses this information for research, inventory creation, formulating objectives, issuing guidelines, environmental assessment, and reporting purposes.

Which Product Categories Fall Under the Plastics Registry?

The registry pertains to all resins and plastic products listed in Schedule 1 of the notice, whether manufactured in Canada, imported, or placed on the Canadian market. The categories of products affected by this notice are in the following parts:

#1: Resins classified according to the North American Product Classification System (NAPCS)

#2: Resins made from different sources, including fossil-based, bio-based, and recycled resins

#3: Rigid and flexible plastic packaging, such as beverage containers and hazardous materials packaging

#4: Other plastic products that fall under the following subcategories:

Electronic and Electrical Equipment (EEE), including consumer equipment, telecommunication devices, appliances, lighting equipment, monitoring and control instruments, medical devices, toys, dispensers, photovoltaic panels, vehicle chargers, etc.
Tires
Transportation devices
Construction materials
Products used in agriculture and horticulture
Fishing and aquaculture equipment
Apparel and textiles
Disposable or single-use items, such as food containers and personal protective equipment

Who Has to Report Under the Federal Plastics Registry?

The notice applies to:

A person who produces, imports, and places resins listed above (parts 1 and 2) on the Canadian market
Manufacturers of plastic products listed above (parts 3 and 4)
An individual who generates waste from packaging and plastic products within their commercial, institutional, or industrial establishment

A person offering services for managing plastics or plastic products as listed above (parts 3 and 4). These management services include collection, reuse, refurbishment, recycling, composting, incineration with or without energy recovery, processing into chemicals and fuels, and landfilling.

Notably, under this notice, there is no need to submit a report if an individual:

Produces, imports, or distributes fewer than 1,000 kg of packaging or plastic products annually
Produces less than 1,000 kg of waste from packaging and plastic products at their industrial, commercial, or institutional settings per year
Handle less than 1,000 kg of plastic annually through the management services.

Reporting Timelines

This notice applies to the 2024, 2025, and 2026 calendar years. The table below indicates the submission deadlines for information concerning each year and the corresponding affected categories.

Calendar Year	Submission Deadline	Affected Categories
2024	September 29, 2025	Packaging (part 3), EEE (part 4, category 1 - residential schedule 4 section 8), and disposable or single-use plastic products (part 4, category 8)
2025	September 29, 2026	All categories, including professional electronics (schedule 4 section 9), construction, transportation, textiles, and industrial/institutional waste in Canada (>1 ton/year)
2026	September 29, 2027	All categories (same as the 2026 reporting)

What are the Reporting Requirements?

The individuals or entities falling under this notice must disclose the following information in their report:

The identity of plastic resins, plastic packaging, or other plastic products
Their source (fossil-based, bio-based, recycled, etc.)
Their quantity (for each calendar year), and
The method used to determine the quantity.

The subject individuals and entities must submit the requested information via an online portal.

Furthermore, those subject to the notice must retain copies of the information and any accompanying data for three years following the submission deadline. If the individual opts to store the information at the Canadian parent company, they must notify the Minister of the physical address of that parent company.

Moreover, confidentiality requests for submitted information are permissible, though the Minister may still disclose it under certain circumstances.

Finally, every affected individual and entity must follow the notice instructions. Non-compliance with the notice may lead to legal liabilities under the CEPA Act.

Want to know more about CEPA and the Federal Plastics Registry? Contact Enviropass!