Canadian plastics and chemistry industries set ambitious recycling targets

The Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) and the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) have partnered to establish some ambitious recycling targets designed to re-use, recycle, or recover 100 per cent of plastics packaging by 2040.

“Plastics innovations are essential to increase living standards and improve overall sustainability via new products that design out waste, reduce food waste, support resource efficiency, conserve water and natural resources and reduce emissions,” said Carol Hochu, president and CEO of Toronto-based CPIA. “But it is a waste of precious resources for plastics to be used once and then landfilled.”

The two associations have also set what they call an “aggressive interim goal” of 100 per cent of plastics packaging being recyclable or recoverable by 2030.

“Achieving these goals will require significant investment across the value chain in new and upgraded infrastructure and improved packaging design,” the CPIA said. “Success will also require widespread public participation in recycling and recovery programs along with changes to littering behaviour.”

“Industry has a role to play in designing materials and applications for greater recovery, reuse and recyclability, but addressing the issue of plastic waste will require actions from society as a whole and from all of us as individuals,” said Bob Masterson, president and CEO of CIAC. “Our members are committed to doing their part, working with governments and others, to significantly improve the recycling and recovery of post-use plastics packaging to complement existing innovations. Supports for investments in new innovations such as chemical recycling will be essential to achieving these goals.”

These two targets put the Canadian plastics industry in line with PlasticsEurope and the American Chemistry Council, who recently announced similar ambitions.