The Chemicals Management Plan
Backgrounder
Chemicals are an integral part of everyday life, essential to our economy, our communities and our homes. While chemical substances provide benefits, they may also have harmful effects on human health and the environment if not properly managed. The Chemicals Management Plan (CMP) is Canada’s comprehensive and integrated strategy for identifying and taking action on potentially harmful substances.
In 2006, the Government of Canada launched the CMP to strengthen efforts to help protect Canadian families and the environment from the risks of harmful chemicals. Renewed again in 2011, the program has assessed over 2700 chemicals and has made Canada a world leader in chemicals management.
For example, Canada was the first country to take action to prohibit polycarbonate plastic baby bottles that contain bisphenol A. We also acted to help protect infants and toddlers from unnecessary exposure to TCEP, a chemical with flame-retardant properties, by prohibiting its use in some polyurethane foam products for children. As well, Canada is moving to phase out the use of microbeads in personal care products that are used to exfoliate or cleanse, such as scrubs, facial cleansers and toothpastes.
Delivered jointly by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada, the CMP fulfills Canada’s legislative obligations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 to take a science-based, precautionary approach to pollution prevention. The program works collaboratively, sharing information and actively participating with environmental and health non-governmental organizations, Indigenous organizations, consumer and industry groups, as well as with interested Canadians, to carry on this important work.
In its next phase, the CMP will focus on completing the systematic review of the remaining 1550 substances of the 4300 identified when the CMP began. Risk management actions are also being developed and implemented for the substances found to be harmful to human health and/or the environment.
The CMP includes important research and monitoring initiatives such as the Canadian Health Measures Survey. National biomonitoring data collected through the Survey are used by scientists to assess whether there are potential health risks from the chemicals present in our everyday lives. The CMP helps the Government of Canada successfully take actions to control chemicals, thereby protecting our health and reducing harmful effects in our air, soil and water.
Related product
Search for related information by keyword
Hon. Catherine McKenna Environment and Climate Change Canada Nature and Environment