Environment Committee on June 11th, 2026

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

There's been nothing significant on the regulatory front for three years.

Do you think this is another serious step back for the environment, this idea of no longer banning the export of certain single-use plastic products?

[Anthony Merante]

Their hands are legally tied from there, but we have seen small departments, like ECCC, invest heavily in reuse, trying to support reuse companies' viable alternatives to reduce plastic pollution and grow jobs in the local circular economy. However, we have also seen investments—not smart investments, I would say—in chemical and advanced recycling, where that money could have gone towards upstream solutions that stop plastic pollution at its source.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Ms. Wirsig, you've been following the international negotiations on a plastics treaty. Canada is part of the high ambition coalition, which is not consistent with its actions.

Do you share the coalition's vision, which is to tackle plastic production and reduce it, starting with single-use plastic products and those that pose a bigger health hazard?

[Karen Wirsig]

I absolutely agree with that.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

You don't think recycling is enough. You think we also need to reduce production.

Is that correct?

[Karen Wirsig]

Recycling will never solve the problem. You'll never be able to recycle all the straws and single-use bags. It's impossible. That's not the solution. Clearly, it's not the right solution.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shannon Miedema]

Thank you very much, Mr. Bonin.

We'll now turn to Mr. Bexte for five minutes.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, witnesses, for joining us today. I appreciate it.

Mr. Moffatt, Deloitte had a study which found that Environment Canada's proposed plastic regulations could increase food costs by 34%. Are you concerned that policy-makers are not really taking into account the unintended consequences of implementing this policy, like the second- and third-order effects?

[Greg Moffatt]

When we're thinking about policy mechanisms to address problems, we should be taking a science-based, data-driven approach. One of the reasons plastics are so ubiquitous in the food distribution system is that they're lighter. You can put more in a package. You can put more in a truck when you're moving these vegetables from farm to table. There's a reason that plastics are there, for sure.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

They're useful for society.

[Greg Moffatt]

They're useful and they generate benefits, absolutely.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Could restrictions on plastic packaging result in more food waste, then? Would it be fair to say that that's a pretty reasonable assumption?

[Greg Moffatt]

That's absolutely fair to say.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Are you aware of any studies that have been conducted that really look at the vectors? We've established that plastics are useful to society. They're valuable molecules. We've had some discussion that recycling processes may not be effective. Are you aware of any studies that have looked at what the actual vectors of plastics reaching the environment are—the unintended paths to the environment?

[Greg Moffatt]

I'm not aware of specific research per se. I would say that some of our members, along with companies within the sector internationally, are very active in supporting research, especially around the issue of microplastics.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

We can move on.

I would assert that the problem is not that the plastics exist; it's how people choose to use them or how they behave badly. In high trust countries like Singapore, everybody follows the rules. They don't toss the straw out; they put it in the receptacle.

I would like to move on to another point.

In your remarks, you stated that the government's withdrawal from the export ban effectively acknowledged that these measures would pose economic costs without delivering meaningful environmental results.

Could you expand on that?

[Greg Moffatt]

Especially in the export context, Canadian companies are going to be unable to produce for export, and that export is going to come from somewhere else. There's a valid argument—we've heard it anecdotally from our members—that imports from other jurisdictions have lower energy costs, lower environmental costs and labour standards. What are we trading off?

Fundamentally, we're not opposed to addressing the plastic waste issue. It becomes pollution because we allow it. The focus needs to be on the systems that allow us to collect and recover this material after it is being used. In thinking that a ban is the most appropriate way to address this issue, you're not recognizing and acknowledging the systems that are necessary to achieve that goal.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

This is another example of how the government has missed the mark again and again on taking a course of action without expecting a certain set of results and other things happening. It is not anticipating or taking into account the consequences, like food waste and the increased cost of food and cost of living for Canadians, without addressing the root cause of the problem. It's not that the plastics exist; it's where they end up. We have to do the right work, ensuring we protect our environment and get the societal benefits of having plastics in place.

Despite the bans, you noted that Canada faces many of the same collection recovery challenges. Is there any movement from the federal government on addressing recovery and recycling?

[Greg Moffatt]

Back in December 2021, the Minister of Environment's mandate letter said to work with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to implement a $100-million circular economy technology fund. The signals were there, but that's yet to be put in place.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

There's been no movement or no action on the part of the government so far. Is that correct?

[Greg Moffatt]

I would say there has been no movement, but as an industry, we have asked the federal government and the various provincial and territorial governments to consider a new framework for plastics. On the other side of that, we have asked them to support investment and innovation in technology.

[The Chair, Liberal, Shannon Miedema]

Thank you very much.

Mr. St‑Pierre, you have the floor for five minutes.

[Eric St-Pierre, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Thank you.

If I may, I'll ask my questions in French. Please make sure interpretation is working.

Mr. Merante, based on your most recent data, can you tell us how concerned Canadians are about plastic pollution?

How do Canadians feel about the ban on single-use plastic products?

[Anthony Merante]

Since 2020, polling has shown consistently that, across any region, age group, gender or past voting history, this is an overwhelmingly popular opinion. It has never dipped below 80%. People support prohibitions at the source, like a single-use plastic ban. They also support the federal government taking on that role. The Federal Court of Appeal affirmed that it is the federal government's responsibility. This is a widely popular issue.

[Eric St-Pierre, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

I think you also did a survey called Oceana Plastic Market Research.

Could you give us the results of that survey and briefly explain them?