The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) has joined the Canada Plastics Pact (CPP), which aims to eliminate plastic waste and pollution by bringing together businesses, government, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders in the Canadian plastics value chain. APR and CPP share the common goal of creating a circular plastics economy, where plastic is kept in the economy and out of people, animals, and the environment.
The APR has recognized that systemwide change is imperative to realize a circular economy for plastics. Through fostering innovation and collaboration, APR joins CPP's 98+ partners from across the plastics value chain taking meaningful steps to eliminate unnecessary and problematic plastics, redesign packaging, and bolster the usage of recycled plastic.
"The Canada Plastics Pact is helping to shape important discussions on the management of post-consumer plastics and convening leaders across the value-chain committed to solutions," said Steve Alexander, APR president and CEO. "APR's tools and resources are endorsed and aligned internationally. This partnership is part of larger harmonization efforts across the globe including APR's work to align North America's design for recyclability guidance with Europe's RecyClass. By working together, we will help achieve an effective and robust plastics recycling system in Canada and beyond."
The Canada Plastics Pact is a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Plastics Pact Network, a globally aligned response to plastic waste and pollution. Although the CPP is complementary to, and follows the precedents set by the existing global network of Plastics Pacts, it is tailored to meet the needs and challenges of the Canadian market. The pact reflects Canadian priorities and realities, while still propelling closer to other developed nations in its management of plastic waste.
"As CPP partners commit to driving innovation and scalable actions that will result in less plastic packaging overall and easier to recycle plastics packaging, our goal is to align as much as possible with the U.S. for a unified circular approach to packaging design throughout North America," said Cher Mereweather, managing director at the Canada Plastics Pact. "The inclusion of APR in our collaborative efforts is a significant step towards accelerating plastics recyclability by including their technical guidance and expertise for package design."
As a CPP partner, the APR has agreed to provide its industry perspective and technical expertise to support the CPP in achieving its goals. The APR is also a founding Activator and Advisory Council member of the U.S. Plastics Pact.
