Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a), developing and maintaining good-quality Canada-wide data on how plastic moves through the economy is necessary to transition towards a circular economy in Canada. The federal plastics registry, the registry, will provide critical data that will identify opportunities for the government to take further action to reduce plastic waste and pollution, as well as help monitor progress over time.
The cost to government to collect data for the registry is $7,294,154 projected over five years to establish the registry, and $600,756 each year after for maintenance. The cost of inaction against plastic pollution in Canada is very high. As an example, the regulatory impact analysis statement for the single-use plastics prohibition regulations, SUPPR, determined that the SUPPR alone will save Canadians $581 million over 10 years in avoided terrestrial litter cleanup costs. Canadians want to see more concrete action, like the SUPPR, from governments and industry to tackle plastic pollution. The registry is a stepping stone for future actions that tackle plastic pollution and cut costs for all Canadians.
In response to part (b), reporting requirements for the federal plastics registry will be introduced in phases to allow time and flexibility for those obligated to report. Phase 1 reporting will start in September 2025, requiring reporting on plastic placed on the market in three categories, electronic and electrical equipment, packaging, and single-use or disposable products, for the 2024 calendar year. Phase 2 reporting will start in 2026, adding reporting requirements for resin manufacturers and importers, as well as reporting on plastic placed on the market for the remaining categories: tires, transportation, construction, agriculture and horticulture, fishing and aquaculture, apparel and textiles. In 2026, reporting on plastic waste generated at industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities, plastic collected at end-of-life, as well as plastic sent for diversion and disposal for some categories, will also be introduced. In 2027, additional reporting requirements on plastics collected and sent for diversion and disposal for more categories will be added. Details of the reporting schedule appear in schedule 5 of the “Notice with respect to reporting of plastic resins and certain plastic products for the Federal Plastics Registry for 2024, 2025 and 2026”.
In response to part (c), Environment and Climate Change Canada, ECCC, has consulted extensively on the development of the registry, and no company has quantified the cost of reporting or signaled how these costs would impact the price of food or consumer goods. ECCC continues to work with companies on the development of a technical guidance to reduce the administrative tasks and costs associated with reporting and assist them in fulfilling their obligations. ECCC has also created category-specific working groups to better understand supply chains and develop targeted reporting methodologies to further assist companies in fulfilling their reporting obligations.
The federal plastics registry, the registry, is the most comprehensive registry of its kind. Other registries are usually limited to a few categories like packaging or electronics and electrical equipment. These registries differ from the registry by including provisions for extended producer responsibility and assigning costs to producers for the plastics they put on the market. Note that the registry assigns no charges to food or consumer good companies and does not regulate food or consumer products in any manner. It only aims to create an inventory of data on plastics throughout their life cycle and across several sectors of the economy.