Science and Research Committee on June 18th, 2024

[The Chair, Liberal, Valerie Bradford]

We're a bit over the time.

Now we'll turn to MP Cannings for two and a half minutes.

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Thank you.

There's a mantra in the recycling space: It's not just recycling. It's more important, perhaps, to reduce the use and manufacture of these items, to reuse them where possible and, if necessary, to recycle the rest.

Is there anything in your overall strategy that sets out targets for those three streams?

[Dany Drouin]

There are actions across the waste hierarchy, which is what you outlined with reduction and so on, but the targets are set by provinces for those.

The federal government invests in public awareness to incentivize reduction and reuse, with public media campaigns and public education. We also support sectors in the economy so they can look at reuse and refillery. For example, there are grocers currently testing pilots to allow you to bring in a reusable container for what you buy so you can go back and refill it.

Those all have an impact on the reduction of plastics, for sure.

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

You mentioned targets. Where are we in setting targets? We can't get anywhere if we don't set targets, but it seems very few provinces have set real targets for this. I'm just wondering where we are at. Can we get somewhere by 2030 if we don't set targets?

[Dany Drouin]

The targets for recycling are being set by the provinces. Anywhere there is EPR legislation, there will be targets for the collection and recycling of the materials covered.

As I mentioned, we will need more measures across the country to get to zero plastic waste by 2030. That is a fact.

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

According to this report, it seems that British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec are the only provinces anywhere near setting enough targets. What can the federal government do to encourage the rest of the provinces to get behind this?

[The Chair, Liberal, Valerie Bradford]

That's our time. If you would like to submit that in writing, I think we'd all like to see it.

We're going to have two and a half minutes each for a third round. We'll start with MP Lobb. Then that will be it for this panel.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Thank you for being here today.

You mentioned the plastics registry. I was curious. Is there an estimation of how much it's going to cost to operate the plastics registry on an annual basis?

[Dany Drouin]

The registry is being built currently. The IMIT platform is being built, so I don't have the cost of that registry currently.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Is there a risk that there could be duplication between what a province is doing and what you're doing? How are you preventing that duplication?

[Dany Drouin]

That's an excellent question.

We have had discussions with the provinces that have registries in place. There are two ways we have looked into reducing potential duplication. One was to, as much as possible, follow the CCME guidance that we have collectively so we—

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

That's fair enough. I'm going to run out of time. You're working on it.

My last question is regarding Amazon, Canadian Tire and Walmart. All of these companies bring in stuff from China. It's wrapped in cardboard packages and styrofoam. There's plastic all over it. At what point do you bring them in for a conversation as part of this and say they have to stop and that if they're going to keep bringing this stuff in, they have to start meeting some targets to reduce what's on their shelves and the packaging being brought in? Where is that at?

[Dany Drouin]

Another way we've reduced duplication is to allow for bulk uploading from a provincial registry to the federal registry. That reduces the administrative burden. The e-commerce marketplace is covered by the plastics registry, so they will need to report on the amount of plastic they put on the market.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Have you had talks with companies like Amazon, Canadian Tire and Walmart—these companies that export everything—about what their numbers look like? Do you know what their numbers are currently for plastic?

[Dany Drouin]

That is what the registry will give us. That will be there in the data.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

I go to the dump and do dump runs, and I'll tell you, when you go there and look, you see plastic chairs and plastic toys. I won't call it junk, but all the stuff you see on the shelves in the spring is what ends up in the landfill in the fall. That's just a reality.

[The Chair, Liberal, Valerie Bradford]

Thank you very much.

We'll wrap up this round with MP Diab for two and a half minutes.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Let's continue on that theme for a moment. In 2018, the CCME, or council of FPT ministers, which you talked about, set the priority for plastic waste management. I think you talked about remanufacturing, refurbishing and recycling.

As to the federal plastics registry, what information can the government draw from establishing it, and how can it contribute to the goals of the strategy on zero plastic waste?

[Dany Drouin]

The granularity of the registry will be very useful in the context of understanding, from the life cycle of any product, the amount and types of plastic put on the market and what happens at the end of its life. In and of itself, that data will be extremely important for identifying gaps in measures, whether federally or provincially. That information will be available to the public and to industry.

For example, industry is looking at the registry to get more granular data and, perhaps, to find ways to better manufacture and design plastics. Right now, they might be doing that because they've done it like this for decades, but they say that through the registry, they might find ways to reduce the complexity of plastics.

That's the type of information—

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

You say they could promote some innovation and research in—

[Dany Drouin]

It's innovation and research, and with innovation comes investment.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

How would the federal government work with the provinces and territories on this?

[Dany Drouin]

Do you mean on the registry or—

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Yes. Is it simply about sharing information?

[Dany Drouin]

Yes. One important opportunity for the provinces will be to look at the federal registry data and compare it with their own data to see if there are discrepancies. They can then perhaps look at additional measures on their end as well.