Federal Plastics Registry
The Federal Plastics Registry (FPR) collects data from organizations across the plastics value chain. It helps monitor and track plastic from manufacture to end of life. By better tracking plastic through its full life cycle, Canada is better equipped to address plastic waste and pollution. This is achieved through transparent, sound and robust, evidence-based decision-making.
About the Federal Plastics Registry
Organizations (including resin manufacturers, service providers, generators of waste, and producers of plastic products) must report every year on the quantity and types of plastic they:
- Manufacture
- Import
- Place on the market
Producers of plastic products and service providers are also required to report on the quantity of plastic:
- Collected
- Reused
- Repaired
- Remanufactured
- Refurbished
- Recycled
- Processed into chemicals
- Composted
- Incinerated
- Landfilled
They must also report on the amount of plastic waste generated on their industrial, commercial, and institutional premises.
The FPR provides Canadians, including innovators and decision-makers, with reliable data. This data identifies opportunities for further action to reduce plastic waste and pollution, and help monitor progress over time.
In Canada, the responsibility for managing waste is shared among the federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments. Provinces and territories develop and expand extended producer-responsibility programs to make producers responsible for managing their products at their end-of-life. Extended producer responsibility is key to a circular plastics economy, but reporting requirements vary across Canada due to different definitions, calculations, and indicators.
The Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste committed federal, provincial, and territorial governments to developing and maintaining Canada-wide data on how plastic moves through the economy. The FPR will help address these needs by providing accessible, consistent and robust plastic data. The FPR will cover more categories than those currently captured through domestic extended producer-responsibility programs.
What needs to be reported
The FPR has various reporting requirements for organizations along the plastics value chain in Canada.
Organizations obligated to report
- Manufacturers and importers of plastic resins: Those who manufacture or import plastic resins and place them on the market in Canada
- Producers of plastic products: Those who import, manufacture, and place plastic packaging or plastic products on the market in Canada. This can include brand owners, importers, manufacturers, retailers, marketplace facilitators or sellers
- Generators of plastic waste at an industrial, commercial or institutional (ICI) facility: Those who generate plastic packaging and product waste at (ICI) facilities
- Service providers in plastic management: Those who manage plastics via the following activities:
- Collecting or hauling
- Arranging for direct reuse
- Refurbishing
- Repairing
- Remanufacturing
- Mechanical recycling
- Chemical recycling
- Processing into chemicals, including fuels
- Composting
- Incineration with energy recovery
- Incineration for industrial processes
- Incineration without energy recovery
- Landfilling
Reporting requirements
Organizations must report:
- The category and subcategory of packaging or plastic products
- The resin type in packaging or plastic products
- The resin source in packaging or plastic products
- Quantity of each resin in packaging or plastic products in kg
- Calculation methods
Exceptions
To focus on major contributors to plastic waste and reduce the burden on smaller organizations, some individuals are exempt from reporting:
- Small producers and importers: Those who manufacture, import, or place less than 1000 kg of plastic products or packaging on the market per calendar year
- Small waste generators: Those who generate less than 1000 kg of packaging and plastic product waste at their ICI facilities per calendar year
- Small waste managers: Service providers who manage less than 1000 kg of plastic via activities like collecting, recycling, or disposal per calendar year
Reporting Timelines
Reporting requirements for the FPR will be introduced in phases to allow time for compliance. Reporting starts in September 2025 with Phase 1. This phase covers plastic placed on the market in three categories for the 2024 calendar year.
In 2026, Phase 2 adds reporting requirements for resin manufacturers and importers, as well as reporting on plastic placed on the market for the remaining categories.
Phase 2 also introduces reporting on plastic waste generated at ICI facilities and plastic collected and sent for diversion and disposal for some categories.
In 2027, Phase 3 adds reporting on plastics collected and sent for diversion and disposal in additional categories. Reporting requirements beyond 2027 would be detailed in a future information gathering notice. A simplified version of the phases is outlined in the table below.
| Category | Quantity of resin: |
Quantity of plastic in packaging and products: |
Quantity of plastic waste generated at a facility | Quantity of plastic collected at end of life | Quantity of plastic sent for diversion | Quantity of plastic sent for disposal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic Resins | 2026 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Packaging | N/A | 2025 | 2026 | 2026 | 2026 | 2026 |
| Electronic and Electrical Equipment (EEE) | N/A | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 |
| Single-use or disposable plastic products | N/A | 2025 | 2026 | 2026 | 2026 | 2026 |
| Agriculture and Horticulture | N/A | 2026 | 2026 | 2026 | 2026 | 2026 |
| Tires | N/A | 2026 | 2026 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 |
| Transportation | N/A | 2026 | 2026 | Beyond 2027 | Beyond 2027 | Beyond 2027 |
| Construction | N/A | 2026 | 2026 | Beyond 2027 | Beyond 2027 | Beyond 2027 |
| Fishing and aquaculture | N/A | 2026 | 2026 | Beyond 2027 | Beyond 2027 | Beyond 2027 |
| Textiles and apparel | N/A | 2026 | 2026 | Beyond 2027 | Beyond 2027 | Beyond 2027 |
N/A – Not Applicable
Legal requirements: Canada Gazette Notice
Information for the FPR will be collected in accordance with subsection 46(1) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA). Under the authority of CEPA, organizations that meet published reporting requirements are required to report. Organizations that meet reporting requirements but which fail to report, do not report on time, or knowingly submit false or misleading information, could face penalties as listed under Section 272 and 273 of CEPA.
| Name | Date Published | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Notice with respect to reporting of plastic resins and certain plastic products for the Federal Plastics Registry for 2024, 2025 and 2026 | April 20, 2024 | HTML |
Resources
These resources help organizations understand the reporting requirements and determining if they need to report.
- Guide for Reporting to the Federal Plastics Registry - Phase 1
- This guidance document assists in responding to the notice. It focuses on Phase 1, with reports due in 2025 on 2024 data. It provides an overview of the reporting requirements and additional guidance materials, including tools like calculation methods and other aids.
- Foreign Supplier Letter
- When responding to the notice, you are required to provide information that your organization possesses or to which you may be reasonably expected to have access. Your suppliers may have information you are unaware of. For example, you can contact your suppliers to request detailed information on the plastic composition of your products or packaging.
- A Government of Canada letter for communicating with foreign suppliers is available. It can help you obtain information from your suppliers to complete your response to the notice. The letter is available in English, French, Chinese (simplified) and Spanish. To receive a copy, email RFP-FPR@ec.gc.ca with the subject line ‘Foreign Supplier Letter' and include the languages you need.
- User guides for using the online reporting platform
- Several user guides have been prepared to help users navigate the reporting platform. These guides are available on the platform or upon request. To obtain copies, email RFP-FPR@ec.gc.ca.
Reporting platform
Access the online reporting platform. It is a safe, secure, and reliable way to report data for the FPR. The platform features a modern and easy to use interface.
Public consultation and engagement
The Government of Canada has consulted extensively during the establishment of the FPR. We will continue to engage and consult with Canadians as the FPR progresses. The advice of stakeholders and the public is invaluable for planning data collection activities, developing reporting requirements, and creating tools to interpret data.
Ongoing consultations
- There are no ongoing consultations
Past consultations
- On December 30, 2023, we published a Notice of intent to issue a section 46 notice for the Federal Plastics Registry in the Canada Gazette, Part I. A 45-day public comment period followed, closing on February 13, 2024.
- On April 18, 2023, we published the Technical paper: Federal Plastics Registry on the CEPA registry. A 30-day public comment period followed, closing on May 18, 2023.
- On July 25, 2022 we published the Consultation paper: a proposed federal plastics registry for producers of plastic products (PDF) on the CEPA registry. The public comment period closed on October 7, 2022. In February 2023, we published a What we heard report summarizing feedback received from written comments, stakeholder discussion sessions and webinars.
Frequently asked questions
What is the purpose of the FPR?
The FPR is an inventory of data on plastics in Canada. It monitors and tracks plastic to improve knowledge of:
- Plastic usage
- Waste
- Value recovery
- Pollution
It provides useful information for stakeholders, government, and Canadians. The FPR supports the implementation and monitoring of measures in the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste.
What plastics are included in the FPR?
The notice applies to plastic resins, packaging, and products that are manufactured, imported, or placed on the market in Canada.
Who must submit reports to the FPR in Phase 1?
Anyone who manufactures, imports, and places plastic resins on the market in Canada in packaging, electronic and electrical equipment, and single-use or disposable products.
Does this reporting replace any of the provincial reporting that is required for packaging materials?
No. The FPR does not replace any provincial reports that producers must submit. Provincial reporting requirements vary across Canada, with different definitions, calculations, and indicators. Provinces do not share their EPR data with the federal government. Provincial reporting supports extended producer responsibility programs and helps provinces and producer responsibility organizations calculate their EPR fees. The FPR harmonizes data and makes it accessible in one place.
Are producers required to report on products that they export?
Producers do not need to report on exported plastic resins or products. They report on plastic resins and products made, imported and placed on the market in Canada. If they make resins and products in Canada and these products are destined for export, producers only report on the quantities manufactured. They do not report exports of these resins and products to the FPR.
Are importers required to report on the country of origin of the plastic resin, packaging, or plastic product?
No. Importers do not need to report on the country of origin of imported plastic resin, packaging, or plastic products.
Do organizations outside of Canada that export their products to Canada have an obligation to report to the FPR?
No, only residents in Canada with a Canadian address must report on plastics in imported products. Exporting organizations should support Canadian importers by providing information on resin identities, sources, and quantities. Without this information, Canadian entities may not comply with the FPR. The Government of Canada has created a downloadable letter to help entities obtain information from foreign suppliers for FPR submissions.
If a producer makes packaging, fills it with a product, and place on the market in Canada, do they need to report both of them empty and filled packaging?
Yes. The producer must report both the empty packaging they make and the filled packaging they place on the market.
How will products that are made from multiple resin types be captured? For example, multi-layer bags with woven polypropylene (PP) and inner and outer low-density polyethylene (LDPE) layers?
Producers must report on each type of plastic in their products. They must provide data for both PP and LDPE in the product.
Will producers that manufacture products with 100% recycled plastics be required to report?
Yes. They must specify the resin source as either post-consumer recycled resin or post-industrial recycled resin.
Can a producer designate another person to make a report on their behalf?
Yes. Producers can designate a producer responsibility organization (PRO), engaged to fulfil their extended producer responsibility (EPR) or stewardship obligations, or another person to report to the FPR on their behalf. However, the producer is ultimately responsible for submitting the report and ensuring its accuracy.
If a marketplace facilitator supplies products for which there is a brand owner resident in Canada, who is the obligated producer who must report?
If the brand owner is resident in Canada, they remain the obligated producer who must report to the FPR even if products are distributed by a marketplace facilitator. The marketplace facilitator only becomes obligated if there is no brand owner, manufacturer, or other importer in Canada. In this case, the marketplace facilitator acts like a retailer and is the first to place the product on the market.
If a marketplace facilitator (for example, through a brick and mortar retailer) is also the marketplace seller, are they obligated to report?
Yes, the marketplace seller must report on the plastics they place on the market, independent of the marketplace facilitator.
If a marketplace seller is a brand owner who resides in Canada and places their products on the market with a marketplace facilitator, who is obligated to report?
If the marketplace seller is the product brand owner who resides in Canada, they must report on the products they manufacture, import and place on the market.
Are there penalties for non-compliance?
Subsections 272.1(2), (3) and (4) of CEPA set the penalties for persons who contravene section 46 of the Act. Offences include failing to comply with an obligation arising from the present notice and providing false or misleading information. Penalties include fines. The amount of the fine can range from a maximum of $25,000 for an individual convicted following summary proceedings to a maximum of $500,000 for a large corporation convicted on indictment. The maximum fines are double for second or subsequent offences.
The Act is enforced in accordance with the compliance and enforcement policy for the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. Suspected violations under the Act can be reported to the Enforcement Branch by email at enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca.
Contact Us
Mailing Address:
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Plastics Regulatory Affairs Division
351 St. Joseph Blvd., Place Vincent Massey
Gatineau QC K1A 0H3
Email: RFP-FPR@ec.gc.ca
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