Backgrounder
In 2025, over $1.8 million in additional funding for Advancing a Circular Plastics Economy for Canada has been provided to 13 projects for organizations to develop solutions to address challenges by theme through various funding streams, including reuse, textiles, and single-use plastics
Since 2018, Environment and Climate Change Canada has supported 55 projects with over $10 million through funding for Advancing a Circular Plastics Economy for Canada and the Zero Plastic Waste Initiative. This funding, leveraged by over $7 million in public and private funds, supported education and awareness raising, circular solutions, testing of technologies and practices, community clean-ups, and actions to prevent and reduce plastic waste and pollution.
In 2025, over $1.8 million in additional funding for Advancing a Circular Plastics Economy for Canada has been provided to 13 projects for organizations to develop solutions to address challenges by theme through various funding streams, including reuse, textiles, and single-use plastics. These efforts will identify new opportunities, facilitate collaboration and information sharing, and encourage further investments and the adoption of circular solutions.
Reuse/refill stream recipients
| Company |
Location |
Project description |
Funding |
| Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council |
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
The project will assess the feasibility of implementing effective reusable packaging for a range of food product types at scale in a grocery chain in the Prairies. The study will include cost and benefit modelling for scaling at least one product type suitable for pre-fill and at least one product type that provides an alternative to the existing single-use plastic packaging. |
$75,000 |
| Town of Banff |
Banff, Alberta |
This project aims to reduce single-use items by establishing new reuse opportunities and enhancing existing ones in Banff National Park. The Borrow a Cup program will be expanded and introduced in new settings and at large-scale events, enabling greater participation. The implementation of a Borrow a Bag program will allow residents and visitors to take a free, reusable bag and bring it back to the designated bins across the community. This project will also evaluate Banff’s Single-Use Item Reduction Bylaw to measure impact. |
$186,680 |
| Reposit |
Ottawa, Ontario |
The project will introduce personal care and cleaning products in reusable packaging that can be returned and refilled by the manufacturer. With investments and participation from major brands and retailers, this project aims to demonstrate that with standardization and collaboration, returnable packaging is a commercially, operationally, and environmentally scalable alternative to single-use packaging. It will create a case study and blueprint to enable reuse across entire markets. |
$250,000 |
| University of Toronto Trash Team |
Winnipeg, Manitoba |
This project will implement a reusable take-out food packaging system at The Forks in Winnipeg. The project aims to identify the challenges and opportunities that both local food-service businesses and customers face in adopting reusable programs. The findings will help guide the broader adoption and scaling of reusable foodware programs across Winnipeg and in other communities. |
$158,400 |
Textiles stream recipients
| Company |
Location |
Project description |
Funding |
| National Association for Charitable Textile Recycling |
Newmarket, Ontario |
The project will complete a landscape scan, building upon the work done by Fashion Takes Action to explore and identify textile recycling opportunities specific to Nova Scotia and Eastern Canada, considering the unique characteristics, resources, and waste management landscape of the region. This project will identify potential opportunities, barriers, and specific strategies that align with existing provincial waste management goals and priorities. |
$12,000 |
| Canadian Textile Industry Association |
Montréal, Quebec |
This project will establish a group of Canadian textile manufacturing industry stakeholders committed to exploring and implementing solutions for recycled fibres. It will also demonstrate the circular potential of the Canadian textile industry through the development of 100% Canadian-made recycled products from pre- and post-consumer textiles. |
$153,670 |
| Ville de Gatineau |
Gatineau, Quebec |
This project aims to enhance domestic capacity by strengthening textile recovery infrastructure in Gatineau and consolidating skills and knowledge in textile circularity. It will also conduct information and awareness initiatives among citizens while collecting data to assess citizen behaviour. Lastly, this project aims to implement a new, specific collection model for textiles. |
$100,000 |
| Brands for Canada |
Toronto, Canada |
This project aims to research, develop, and implement a transformative initiative that prioritizes the reuse of clothing by repairing and debranding new apparel destined for landfills (removing logos or identifying brand characteristics to help improve second-hand use and resale). This project will develop a manual of best practices that provides education on repairing and debranding new clothing. The manual would also include recommendations for designers and manufacturers for making these processes easier, less expensive, and more circular. |
$38,500 |
Other stream recipients
| Company |
Location |
Project description |
Funding |
| Organisation Bleue |
Montréal, Quebec |
The project aims to improve public data on the prevalence of plastic products in the environment and develop a new tool to automate the collection, organization, and dissemination of this data. |
$86,214 |
| International Institute for Sustainable Development |
Winnipeg, Manitoba |
This project will create a tool allowing municipalities to estimate the direct and indirect economic impacts of plastic waste and pollution from eight single-use plastic types. The focus will be on quantifying cleanup costs for municipalities, damages to waste management infrastructure, and losses in ecosystem services related to these items. |
$150,000 |
| Polytechnique Montréal |
Montréal, Quebec |
This project aims to quantify the environmental footprint of:
- single-use, take-away coffee cups in plastics and in fibre-based coffee cups in quick service restaurants
- single-use and reusable hot and cold plastic beverage containers in public events
- single-use (plastic and paper) and reusable plastic packaging for e-commerce
|
$164,968 |
| Light House Sustainability Society |
Vancouver, British Columbia |
The project will collect information on plastics generated as waste, including the types and quantities, from up to 10 construction projects in Metro Vancouver. The project will also process polypropylene and polyethylene resins into a recycled pellet and incorporate the plastic into the manufacturing of products for the construction sector. |
$60,000 |
| The Canadian Coalition of Green Health Care |
Hamilton, Ontario |
This project will help reduce single-use plastic usage within Canadian healthcare facilities as well as provide/advise on reduction, reuse, recycling, and storage options based on facility needs. By working closely with facility staff to determine their unique needs and capacity for solutions, the Canadian Coalition of Green Health Care will work toward altering procurement practices, reducing onsite use and waste generated by single-use plastic items, educating and engaging staff, and implementing a monitoring plan to ensure the long-term success of the project.. |
$392,232 |
