Canadian government invests in five projects to reduce plastic waste

Photo Credit: DimaBerlin/Adobe Stock

Canada’s federal government has made a series of new investments to help reduce plastic waste and support the transition of a circular economy for plastics.

In an April 15 announcement by Jonathan Wilkinson, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, five projects that aim to reduce plastic waste will receive a total of $1.3 million.

• Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation will receive $100,000 to study the link between single-use plastic pollution and microplastic accumulation, as well as provide strategies for preventing plastic pollution in Atlantic Canada.
• Canadian Coalition for Green Healthcare will receive $249,854 to recycle personal protective equipment from hospitals and medical single-use plastic waste to keep them out of the environment.
• Conference Board of Canada will receive $390,000 to conduct research and develop a convening platform to inform Canada’s transition to a circular plastics economy.
• Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Ontario will receive $250,000 to improve the management of compostable products and support the development of new standards for bioplastics.
• Scout Environmental will receive $300,000 to develop a network that will be used to facilitate industry collaboration to reduce plastic waste.

“Canadians want their governments to continue to take action on plastic waste and pollution,” Wilkinson said. “We all have a role to play and we are proud to collaborate on these five different, yet very important, projects. We need to explore and capitalize on all our options for reducing plastic waste and pollution, as highlighted by our funding recipients today.”