Evidence of meeting #19 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.
A video is available from Parliament.
Director, Waste Reduction and Management Division, Department of the Environment
I would say that based on our understanding of the bill, which covers only the final disposal, our legislation and legislative framework covers both final disposal and also recycling.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
It seems to me there might be a timing issue here that, at the time the private member's bill was being worked on, these other items had been in process for a while and finally came through.
What was the timing on our coming to the current arrangements we have, and what's still outstanding for us to be able to get on to our agreements internationally?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Protection Branch, Department of the Environment
Thank you for that question.
With respect to the Basel Convention, the Basel amendments on plastic waste, Canada accepted those amendments on December 29 of last year, so it's a very recent acceptance. In order for Canada to have accepted that, we needed to enter into an arrangement with the United States.
There had been discussions at the OECD to seek to find a solution for all OECD countries. That solution did not come forth, so Canada subsequently negotiated an arrangement with the United States to ensure that we had the proper management of our wastes that were destined to the United States so that we could accept the Basel plastic amendments. Those amendments, as I mentioned in my opening statement, took effect on January 1.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
Thank you.
My constituents are quite concerned about plastic bottles that are used for water as a beverage. Nestlé Waters has a plant just south of Guelph.
How would those plastic bottles transferring between Canada and the United States, or within Canada, be handled under this regime? Would we be able to trap them in terms of recycling?
I know that our percentage hasn't been high on being able to capture the PET bottles. Could you comment on that?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Protection Branch, Department of the Environment
I'll turn that question over to Nathalie Perron and Dany Drouin.
Director, Waste Reduction and Management Division, Department of the Environment
Under the new arrangement with the United States, in order to fulfill our requirements under the Basel Convention, the plastic would move between the two borders freely, based on the understanding and arrangement that we both sign an attestation affirming that we both manage the waste in an environmentally sound manner.
Dany, would you like to add something to this?
Dany Drouin Director General, Plastics and Waste Management Directorate, Department of the Environment
Yes. Thank you for the invitation.
PET is a very high value material with a very high recycle rate. My understanding is that it would be under the Basel amendments and would not be subject to the controls because it's a single pellet, is very well sorted together and has value. This is essentially what the China ban has been looking at, to make sure that very clean plastics can be exported.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
Thank you.
There is one line in Bill C-204 dealing with the definition around final waste being landfill or final waste being recycled.
Is there a common definition that's being used internationally that we could refer to in this bill?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Protection Branch, Department of the Environment
I will turn to Nathalie Perron.
Director, Waste Reduction and Management Division, Department of the Environment
The operations are listed in the domestic regulations. They are not listed under CEPA.
Liberal
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
Good afternoon, everyone.
Thank you for being here.
Ms. Ryan, at the beginning of your remarks, you talked about a meeting with the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, and you said you have a framework for joint action. The framework includes investment in infrastructure and innovation. Apparently, the needs assessment work to facilitate partnerships and funding was completed in 2020.
Can you tell us if it's actually complete?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Protection Branch, Department of the Environment
Thank you for your question, Ms. Pauzé.
I'll ask Mr. Drouin to speak to that.
Director General, Plastics and Waste Management Directorate, Department of the Environment
I'm sorry, Ms. Pauzé, but would you mind repeating the question?
There was some interference, and I didn't understand the whole question.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
You said you have a framework for joint action through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. You said one measure has to do with investment and innovation and that, for 2020, the needs assessment to facilitate partnerships and financing is complete.
Is it complete?
Where are we at with that framework?
Director General, Plastics and Waste Management Directorate, Department of the Environment
It is being finalized.
Canada initiated the study, which will be shared with our provincial and territorial colleagues.
The study is looking at financial needs related to infrastructure within the context of an extended producer responsibility program.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
Yes, that's right.
Are there programs coming on line for extended producer responsibility?
Director General, Plastics and Waste Management Directorate, Department of the Environment
There are pilot projects. There are also some fairly robust programs in some parts of the country. For example, Quebec is drafting a bill, and the B.C. model is mentioned frequently.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
I have lots of questions, but I won't have enough time to ask them all, so can I ask you to provide a detailed answer in writing?
I think everyone would be interested in seeing where we're at with that plan.
On another topic, commitments were made during the election campaign, in the throne speech and in the Minister of Environment's mandate letter about modernizing the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The bill amends that act. It is about plastic production and our inability to recycle what should be recycled. If the act is being modernized, I think it's crucial to produce fewer things that can't be recycled.
Is Environment and Climate Change Canada currently taking any steps toward reforming the Canadian Environmental Protection Act?
How much of your work focuses on plastics?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Protection Branch, Department of the Environment
I thank the member for her question.
I believe that, when our minister last appeared here, he mentioned that he was working on a bill. So yes, the bill to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act is being worked on.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
Okay.
From a broader perspective, the zero plastic waste by 2030 strategy was released in 2020. You mentioned that in your speech. If we look at the data in the study Ottawa commissioned, Greenpeace claims we will need 160 new facilities and investments in excess of $8 billion to achieve that goal. We currently recycle barely 10% of the plastic produced in Canada.
Don't you think the policy is kind of unrealistic in light of the numbers Greenpeace gave us?
