The European Union and Canada share a common vision to foster a circular economy and are pursuing ambitious objectives to tackle plastic waste and promote sustainable consumption.

Circular Innovation Council is excited to announce a new partnership with the Reducing Plastic Waste in Canada project funded by the European Union. The project aims to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns.

The European Union is a leader in the transition towards the plastics of the future, and contributes to more competitive resilient plastics and recycling industries. The project will support the EU Plastics Strategy in the Americas Region by collaborating with leading organizations to share best practices and talk about solutions to achieving zero plastic waste. Partnering on this important project allows Circular Innovation Council to expand the Plastic Action Centre to include resources and information beyond Canada and engage an international audience.

Launched in 2021, the two-year project Reducing Plastic Waste in Canada will broaden the interactions between Canadian and European decision-makers and influencers in the public, private and non-profit sectors by facilitating peer-to-peer exchanges and supporting the development of knowledge and innovative practices across many sectors of the economy.

The activities will stimulate EU-Canadian collaborations in areas key to a circular economy for plastics, such as:

  • extended-producer responsibility
  • awareness-raising and consumer education
  • best practices and advancement in product design to reduce waste
  • innovative and advanced recycling technologies
  • business models and policies for value retention
  • green and circular procurement practices and tools

Over the next six months, new resources and stories developed as part of the Reducing Plastic Waste in Canada project will be posted to Circular Innovation Council’s Plastic Action Centre website and shared on social media, aligning with a different topic/theme each month.

  • August: EU leadership in circular economy – context setting
  • September: Extended-Producer Responsibility and plastic recovery technologies
  • October: Public awareness & education, procurement and reuse and product life extension
  • November: Procurement and reuse and product life extension
  • December: Plastic Pacts and business leadership globally
  • January: Highlights from the year 

Click the links below to read the eight new articles published on the Plastic Action Centre:

  1. EU funded project Reducing Plastic Waste in Canada is collaborating with leading organisations to share best practices and talk about solutions to achieving zero plastic waste
  2. The European Union’s (EU) New Circular Economy Action Plan 2020 is at the heart of Europe’s agenda for sustainable growth and a key part of the EU’s comprehensive 2021 “NextGeneration” post-pandemic recovery plan
  3. The Landmark EU Green Deal’s 2022 Ecodesign Requirements for Products are Currently Under Development
  4. Implementation of the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy Leads to Opportunities for Innovation in the Plastics Value Chain
  5. Five Essential Findings from the Recently Released Re-shaping Plastics – Pathways to a Circular, Climate Neutral Plastic System in Europe
  6. The Circular Plastics Alliance – an Innovative EU Initiative within an Overarching Industrial Strategy that Promotes Collaboration
  7. Biodegradable Plastics – Solution or Problem?
  8. Addressing Ocean Plastic Pollution through Bycatch – an Innovative Concept to Reduce Pollution and Provide Employment