Explore circular economy initiatives
Many Canadians are already participating in the circular economy—reusing, repairing, sharing— and the Government of Canada is working to support and expand these efforts. We are also working to support other circular strategies— remanufacturing, redesigning, reducing—to create new economic opportunities and a more sustainable and resilient economy.
Government of Canada initiatives
- A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy
- Encourages adopting resource efficient approaches that underpin a circular economy in order to build the path to a resilient future.
- A National Strategy to Encourage Remanufacturing and Other Value-Retention Processes in Canada
- Supports the transition to a circular economy, and contributes to the Canada-wide Strategy and Action Plans on Zero Plastic Waste.
- Greening Government Strategy
- Seeks to establish Canada as a global leader in government operations that are low-carbon, resilient and green. Includes transition to a circular economy through procuring goods and services with a reduced environmental impact, life-cycle assessment, and clean technologies.
- Mining Wastes as Resources
- Seeks to re-imagine the idea of mine tailings and waste within the “circular economy” paradigm. Focus on testing current technologies, developing new ideas and supporting collaborative solutions.
Federal-Provincial-Territorial initiatives
- A Forest Bioeconomy Framework for Canada
- Details an approach to stimulating new economic activity by converting sustainably managed renewable forest-based resources into products and services using novel and repurposed processes.
- Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste [PDF]
- Outlines areas where changes are needed across the plastic lifecycle, from design to collection, clean-up, and value recovery, and underscores the economic and business opportunities resulting from long-lasting and durable plastics.
- Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste
- Sets out tangible actions and clear timelines to implement the Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste, with the goal to better prevent, reduce, reuse, recover, capture and clean up plastic waste and pollution in Canada.
- Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste Phase 1 [PDF]: Focuses on product design, single-use plastics, collection systems, recycling capacity and domestic markets.
- Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste Phase 2 [PDF]: Focuses on consumer awareness, aquatic activities, research and monitoring, clean-up and global action.
- Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan (CMMP)
- Envisions a circular economy where mine wastes are transformed into useful products.
International initiatives supported by the Government of Canada
- Circular North America: a World Circular Economy Forum side event
- Environment and Climate Change Canada and the United Nations Environment Programme North America Office co-hosted Circular North America, a WCEFonline side event on November 19, 2020.
- Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency (GACERE)
- Aims to provide a global impetus for initiatives related to the circular economy transition, resource efficiency and sustainable consumption and production, building on efforts being deployed internationally.
- International Resource Panel (IRP)
- Provides advice and connections between policymakers, industry, and the community on ways to improve global and local resource management.
- Ocean Plastics Charter
- Lays the groundwork to ensure plastics are designed for reuse and recycling. By signing the Charter, partners commit to a more resource-efficient and lifecycle approach to plastics stewardship on land and at sea.
- Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE)
- Catalyzes global leadership from business, government and civil society to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
Canadian success stories
- Food Waste Reduction Challenge
- Smart Cities Challenge Winner: Our Food Future
- Aims to create the country’s first circular food economy, in the municipalities of Guelph and Wellington County, by 2025.
- Past Canadian Plastics Innovation Challenge Winners
- March 5, 2021 - Government of Canada supports innovative, made-in-Canada solutions to plastic waste
- February 12, 2020 - Government of Canada supports small businesses developing innovative solutions to plastic pollution
- May 17, 2019 - Canada unveils support for Canadian innovation by small businesses to reduce plastic waste and beat plastic pollution
- Breakthrough Energy Solutions Canada Finalist
Page details
- Date modified: