November 13, 2024 (OTTAWA) – Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC), the national industry association representing Canada’s domestic food and beverage manufacturers, recently hosted a presentation and roundtable event titled “Plastics 102: Plastics and the Supply Chain,” focusing on industry’s efforts to reduce plastic waste and opportunities for collaboration. The event highlighted the value of collaboration across the supply chain and reinforced FBC-ABC’s commitment to realistic and achievable goals for reducing plastic waste.
The event brought together FBC-ABC member companies, supply chain representatives, and key government stakeholders, including representatives from Environment and Climate Change Canada, Health Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. Industry associations including the Canadian Meat Council and the Baking Association of Canada were also in attendance, underscoring the importance of cross-sector engagement.
Discussions focused on the life cycle of plastic packaging, the difficulties of recycling multi-layer food contact packaging, progress achieved and remaining gaps in collections, target alignment, the opportunities presented by regenerative end markets, and the need to harmonize regulations across jurisdictions. We were pleased to also present our industry-developed life cycle tool, which breaks down packaging components and classifies them across major nodes within the framework.
Recommendations to Government
FBC-ABC presented a set of recommendations to guide government policy and support industry’s efforts in sustainable packaging:
- The federal government and food and beverage manufacturers should work together to chart a path for the entire industry, establishing ambitious and achievable goals to reduce plastic waste.
- The federal government should lead coordinated efforts with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to harmonize regulations for packaging, plastic waste, and recycling. This includes aligning recyclability standards and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs to support consistency in sustainability across the food supply chain.
- Provide targeted incentives to promote investment in infrastructure and R&D, enabling companies of all sizes to adopt sustainable packaging, equipment, and practices that advance circularity within the industry.
FBC-ABC will continue to engage with policymakers, industry partners, and the broader supply chain to advance solutions that drive meaningful progress in reducing plastic waste.
For more details on our plastics policy and advocacy efforts or to learn about joining FBC-ABC, please reach out to Kristina Farrell.
Contact:
Kristina Farrell
CEO, Food and Beverage Canada
613-322-9235
kristina.farrell@fbc-abc.com