Good morning, everyone. Thank you for the invitation to appear before you to discuss innovation, science and research in recycling plastics.

As the chair said, my name is Dany Drouin, and I'm from Environment and Climate Change Canada. I'm joined by my colleague Thomas Kruidenier, executive director of the substance prioritization, assessment and coordination division, also at Environment and Climate Change Canada. We're pleased to be here as part of your study, and we appreciate the committee's interest in this issue.

The evidence is clear. Plastic pollution is everywhere, and it harms wildlife and habitats.

ECCC, in partnership with Health Canada, published a science assessment of plastic pollution in 2020. This report underscores that plastic pollution poses a significant threat to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Emerging science continues to show that people are exposed to microplastics in the air, water, soil and even the food they consume.

The majority of our country's plastic waste follows a very linear path, where we manufacture, use and dispose of plastics, mostly in landfills. This valuable resource is not being managed sustainably. That leads to economic losses and plastics pollution. Action is needed to improve the management of plastic waste and to improve the circularity of plastics in Canada. Recycling alone will not solve this problem.

Tackling plastic pollution requires a comprehensive, life‑cycle approach to prevent and reduce plastic waste.

That is why the government is implementing an ambitious and comprehensive plan to reduce plastic waste and pollution and move towards a circular plastics economy through a range of complementary actions across the life cycle of plastics. The agenda is grounded in a strong foundation of science and evidence. The government advances Canada’s plastics science agenda by conducting and investing in science, including by working to harmonize scientific methods, further detecting and characterizing plastic pollution, and assessing socio-economic, environmental and potential human health impacts.

To further build the knowledge base, the government announced the creation of a federal plastics registry a few weeks ago. The registry will require producers to report annually on the quantity and types of plastics they place on the Canadian market, as well as how these plastics are managed at the end of their life. This information, along with the annual reporting by Statistics Canada, will play a critical role in collecting data, monitoring progress, identifying gaps in areas for further action and communicating with Canadians.

The plan recognizes the importance of advancing solutions in key sectors. Important work has been completed in sectors such as packaging, agriculture, automotive, construction and health care. Investments are also supporting research and innovation in the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors, as well as the restaurant, beverage, and textile and apparel sectors.

The government is also supporting the advancement of innovations in key areas that are important for businesses and stakeholders. This work focuses on advancing reuse innovations to replace single-use plastics and improving the collection and sorting of plastic film and flexible packaging.

In addition, Canada works collaboratively with the provinces and territories through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment to support the advancement of comprehensive extended producer responsibility programs and to develop guidance intended to improve consistency across Canada. Important progress is being made there. It is expected that by 2027, over 90% of Canadians will live in a jurisdiction with an EPR program in place for plastic packaging. This is one important tool that helps to make producers responsible for the plastic waste their products generate.

While we work diligently to implement initiatives and engage partners at the national level, plastic pollution does not respect international borders. This is a global problem that requires urgent and immediate attention.

Canada continues to—