Canada Plastics Pact Unveils 5-Year Roadmap to Drive Circular Economy for Flexible Plastic Packaging
OTTAWA, September 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Today, over 95 companies, governments, institutions, and NGOs that are part of the Canada Plastics Pact (CPP) are proud to release an ambitious 5-year action plan (2023-2027) focused on addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with flexible plastic packaging in Canada, with a clear objective of transitioning the industry towards a circular packaging ecosystem.
Despite flexible packaging and films comprising 47% of the plastic packaging placed on the Canadian market, the current recycling rate for these materials remains below 2%. This striking disparity underscores a pressing concern as the demand for flexible plastic packaging continues to grow, driven by its lightweight, durable, versatile, and cost-effective attributes. However, the complex composition of flexible plastics poses significant challenges when it comes to recycling.
The Flexible Plastic Packaging Roadmap (i.e., Flexibles Roadmap) represents unprecedented cross-value chain collaboration, uniting key players behind a shared vision for a circular economy for flexible plastic packaging in Canada and a targeted plan to accelerate and scale solutions by 2027.
The Flexibles Roadmap was developed by the CPP’s Flexibles Working Group and the engagement of leading industry, NGO, and public sector organizations, including producers, manufacturers, brands, retailers, recyclers, non-profits, industry associations, stewardship agencies, governments, and others who collectively account for over one-third of the plastic packaging placed on the market in Canada.
“Developing a circular economy for flexible plastic packaging and films is critical given the current state and the existing challenges,” says Paul Shorthouse, Strategic Advisor at the CPP and Lead Facilitator of CPP’s Flexibles Working Group. “This Roadmap presents a unique opportunity for stakeholders across the plastics value chain to come together and drive rapid, unprecedented change and investment.”
With a firm commitment to engaging stakeholders across the plastics value chain, the CPP seeks to drive the implementation of the Flexibles Roadmap’s three thematic areas between now and 2027, including:
- Upstream Innovation and Design for Circularity
- Collection and Consumer Communication
- Sorting, Recycling and End Market Development
To read the Flexibles Roadmap, please click here.
Discover some of the initiatives driving the Roadmap forward:
- Circularity leaders launch PRFLEX, an unprecedented collaboration to optimize the recycling system for flexible plastic packaging in Canada.
- CPP releases Pathways to Mono-Material Guidance Document to provide practical information and guidance on the design and manufacturing pathways that enable moving from complex, multi-material flexible plastic packaging to more recyclable mono-material polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP) flexible packaging, where and when it makes sense.
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About the Canada Plastics Pact
The Canada Plastics Pact is spearheading Canada’s response to the escalating plastic crisis.
We exist to eliminate plastic waste by accelerating and scaling the solutions that will keep plastics in the economy and out of people, animals and the environment.
Through fostering innovation and collaboration, our 95+ Partners from across the plastics value chain are taking meaningful steps to eliminate unnecessary and problematic plastics, redesign packaging and bolster their usage of recycled plastic.
CPP is a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Global Plastics Pact network and operates as an independent initiative of The Natural Step Canada.
