Code of Practice for the Environmentally Sound Management of Chemical Substances in the Chemicals, Plastics and Rubber Sectors (“code of practice”)
This code of practice has been in effect in Canada since February 24, 2024.
Objective
The objective of the code of practice is to identify and promote best practices in the management and handling of chemical substances in the manufacturing and distribution of chemicals, plastics, and rubber products, to prevent releases of these substances into the environment.
In addition, the code of practice can be used to complement risk management instruments targeting specific chemical substances used in the chemicals, plastics and rubber sectors.
Target audience
The code of practice is intended to apply to manufacturers, formulators and distributors in the chemicals, plastics and rubber sectors, which fall under, but are not limited to, the following North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes:
- 3251 - Basic Chemical Manufacturing
- 3252 - Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing
- 325991 - Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
- 3261 - Plastics Product Manufacturing; and
- 3262 - Rubber Product Manufacturing
Adopting the code of practice
If the code of practice applies to your facility or operations, you are encouraged to:
- implement best management practices to minimize releases of chemical substances to the environment
- annually submit a report on the implementation of the code of practice as per Appendix 1
Read the code of practice
Reporting
To assess the degree of implementation of the code of practice and to help identify areas of improvement, companies are requested to annually submit a report on their progress in implementing this code of practice by March 31 of each year, reporting for the previous calendar year.
Privacy Notice
Information is collected under the authority of subsection 7(1) of the Financial Administration Act and section 5 of the Department of the Environment Act. Personal information created, held or collected by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is protected under the Privacy Act. Your participation and decision to provide information is voluntary. The information provided to ECCC will be used to assess the effectiveness of the code of practice in meeting its objectives, and to generate progress reports that will be published on the Government of Canada’s website. The progress reports will highlight the number of facilities participating in the code of practice by sector and by region, and the extent to which they are following the code of practice. Information provided to ECCC will be used, disclosed and retained in accordance with the conditions listed in the Personal Information Bank Outreach Activities PSU 938.
More information about the Government of Canada’s privacy requirements can be found on the Canada.ca website.
Option 1: Report Online:
Option 2: Submit Report to:
Risk Management and CEPA Regulatory Development Division of ECCC at: pgpc-dppc-cmp-cpd@ec.gc.ca.
Performance results to date
2026
Between March 2024 and March 2026, a total of 43 Canadian facilities submitted reports indicating substantial implementation of the code of practice (Figure 1). Of these, 38 facilities operate in the chemicals sector, mainly involved in chemical storage, warehousing, and distribution. 3 companies are in the plastics sector, 1 in the rubber sector and an additional company's operations span across the plastics, rubber, and chemicals sectors. The majority of these companies also participate in other programs that aim to prevent or mitigate releases of chemical substances to the environment such as Responsible Distribution®, ISO 14001 and Responsible Care®.
Figure 1. Number of industrial facilities participating in the code of practice by sector and region
Long description
Figure 1 is a bar chart illustrating the sectoral distribution of 43 industrial facilities across Canada that reported substantial implementation of the code of practice between March 2024 and March 2026.
The chart displays the following values for each identified sector as follows: 38 facilities fall under the chemicals sector. This is the largest group, representing approximately 87% of all participants. The data notes that these facilities are primarily engaged in storage, warehousing, and distribution activities. 3 facilities fall under the plastics sector, 1 facility falls under the rubber sector, and one facility encompasses the Chemicals, Plastics, and Rubber sectors simultaneously.
Participation is highly concentrated in a few regions. Ontario has by far the largest number of facilities, with 22 in total, including 18 in the chemicals sector, 3 in the plastics sector, and 1 in the rubber sector. Alberta follows with 7 facilities, all in the chemicals sector. British Columbia reports 5 facilities, all in the chemicals sector. Quebec has 4 facilities, including one in the combined-sector and the remainder in the chemicals sector. Saskatchewan has 2 facilities in the chemicals sector, and Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador each have 1 facility in the chemicals sector. No facilities are reported for New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Northwest Territories, or Nunavut.
Related information
Past consultations
Contact us
Risk Management and CEPA Regulatory Development Division
Environment and Climate Change Canada
351 St. Joseph Blvd
Gatineau QC K1A 0H3
Email : pgpc-dppc-cmp-cpd@ec.gc.ca.