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Editor's Note: This article was originally published on 08-03-2022.

What is it? 

The Canada Plastics Pact (CPP) is an independent, not-for-profit organization working with Canadian businesses, policymakers, associations and NGOs to create a circular economy for plastic packaging by 2030. It’s part of The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Plastics Pact Network which connects initiatives around the world in an aligned response to plastic waste and pollution.  

By working with diverse companies and experts in the plastics value chain, the CPP hopes to help businesses rethink how plastic packaging is designed, used and reused. 

The CPP’s mandate is to: 

• Focus on the root causes of plastics pollution; 
• Work collaboratively across the supply value chain to ensure industries remove plastic waste system wide; 

• Mobilize and align stakeholders at the local, national and global level to work toward a common vision; and 
• Harness and amplify skills, expertise and leadership among stakeholders while fostering innovation and solutions. 

Why you should care 

Canada has committed to removing plastic waste and pollution from our landfills, water, and environment, while moving toward a circular economy for plastic. As well as drastically reducing plastic waste and pollution, the CPP estimates that a circular economy would save up to $500 million annually, create tens of thousands of jobs, and substantially lower greenhouse gas emissions. And with the ban on single-use plastics coming into effect beginning by December 2022, food industry operators should already be looking at how to eliminate plastic waste in their businesses. 

Moving away from plastic packaging 

To help companies adjust their packaging and work towards a circular economy for plastics, in April 2022 the CPP introduced the Golden Design Rules for plastics packaging and a microsite offering context-specific guidance tailored to Canadian businesses. The rules offer global standards aligned with guidelines and targets laid out in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. 

In July 2022, the CPP published its 2020 Baseline Report outlining the organization’s targets and plans for the next three years. They include: 

• Supporting innovation on plastic packaging that can be safety reused, recycled or composted; 
• Ensuring at least 50 per cent of plastic packaging is recycled or composted by 2025; 
• Creating a list of problematic packaging and taking measures to eliminate them by 2025; and 
• Ensuring an average of at least 30 per cent recycled content in all plastic packaging by 2025. 

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