This impact paper from the Conference Board of Canada examines the challenges faced by Canada’s plastic recycling industry, and explores opportunities for Canada to transition to a circular plastics economy and incentivize private sector investment.

Document Highlights

Canada’s current, linear plastics economy is unsustainable, and must transition to a circular plastics economy. It will harness natural resources sustainably, eliminate waste by design, reuse and recycle its outputs, and use innovative business models with minimal environmental and social drawbacks.

The infrastructure, technology, and growth of firms needed to develop such a model will cost billions. Substantive private sector investment will be instrumental. Who will invest in Canada’s plastic recycling industry? In what forms? What industry segments will benefit?

This impact paper examines the structural challenges faced by plastic recycling firms in Canada. It illuminates the investment drivers and trends, while highlighting opportunities for increased competitiveness and resiliency of the plastics recycling industry.

The paper recommends five actions for Canadian governments to incentivize private sector investments in the plastics recycling industry and encourage entities in the plastics value chain to advance desired societal outcomes and increased efficiency.  

Download the paper at ConferenceBoard.ca