Canada | Deadline for reporting on plastic packaging used in agriculture and horticulture
May 10, 2024
Companies in the agriculture and horticulture sectors must report on plastic packaging manufactured, imported or placed on the market in Canada by September 29, 2026. The new requirement is part of an initiative by the Government of Canada to reduce plastic waste to zero by 2030.
Federal Plastics Registry
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) recently published a Notice under 46(1) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (the Act), requiring companies to report information on the lifecycle of plastics in Canada for the Federal Plastics Registry.
Applicability
The notice applies to the calendar years 2024, 2025 and 2026, and specifically focuses on plastic resins and certain plastic packaging. It applies to anyone that manufactures, imports or places plastic products on the market, including the generation or managing of packaging, and plastic product waste of 1,000 kg/year or more. All packaging including consumer, industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) must be included in the report. The detailed list of plastic resins and various products like electronic devices, construction materials and packaging materials can be found here. There are no exemptions. All companies to which this notice applies must submit the required administrative information (company name, address, contact coordinates) by September 29, 2025.
Agriculture and horticulture
The initial reporting deadline for plastic packaging imported, manufactured, or placed on the market in agriculture and horticulture products during the 2025 calendar year is September 29, 2026. Subsequently, data concerning the 2026 calendar year must be submitted no later than September 29, 2027. The notice applies to all registered and regulated products including pesticides and fertilizers, and all rigid and flexible plastic packaging, either filled or unfilled.
The packaging categories include, but are not limited to:
- Agricultural bag: plastic bags of less than 30 kg capacity used for seed, feed or fertilizer
- Agricultural container: a jug or pail of less than 23 L capacity, excluding those used to contain animal health products
- Agricultural drum: jugs or pails of more than 23 L capacity, excluding those used to contain animal health products
- Agricultural tote bags: large bags or mini-bulk bags, usually in 500 kg or 1 tonne sizes, used primarily to package seeds, pesticides and animal feed
The full list can be found in Section 1, Part 4, Category 5: Agriculture and horticulture. Any plastic product or product component that is within the category must be reported.
Next steps
- The ECCC will consult producers and working groups to draft Technical Guidance to aid with reporting requirements by Fall 2024
- New Federal Plastics Registry's IT system will be available in the second half of 2024
- Submitters must retain data and documents for three years after submission. Though the final decision of disclosing information lies with the Minister of the Environment, you can request to submit sensitive information confidentially
How TSG can help
If you have any questions about this notice, please get in contact with our TSG’s Principal Regulatory Consultant, Joe McCarthy at [email protected]
