An opportunity for Canada: Regulating chemicals of concern in plastics ahead of INC-5

A statement from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and other organizations urging the Canadian government to implement a regulatory package prohibiting toxic chemicals in plastics before the fifth negotiating session of the Global Plastics Treaty (INC-5) in November 2024.

• The document calls for the final Priority Plan, due by June 2025, to prioritize 13 specific classes of plastics chemicals and additives for assessment and risk management. These include phthalates, flame retardants, bisphenols, PFAS (specifically fluoropolymer assessment), chlorinated paraffins, benzotriazoles, aromatic amines, aralkyl aldehydes, salicylate esters, aromatic ethers, parabens, aceto/benzophenones (including UV 238), and alkylphenols.
• The authors urge the finalization of a Plastics Chemicals Strategy by Fall 2025 to restrict the production and import of specific toxic plastic chemicals and precursors, including formaldehyde, naphthalene, benzene, styrene, and vinyl chloride. They also call for a review of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) listed in the Stockholm Convention, such as PFHxS, UV328, and PCBs, to restrict their use in articles.
• The statement highlights that product testing in Canada shows phthalates and flame retardants are present in plastic products at concentrations of approximately 10% by volume, which the authors describe as a significant exposure risk.
• The authors request that Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) immediately publish a Watchlist to flag hazardous chemicals in plastics not currently in the 2024-2025 Work Plan to prevent regrettable substitutions, and to establish a disclosure and transparency regime for toxic additives across the value chain.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2024). An opportunity for Canada: Regulating chemicals of concern in plastics ahead of INC-5. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Regulating-chemicals-of-concern-in-plastics-ahead-of-INC-5.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. An opportunity for Canada: Regulating chemicals of concern in plastics ahead of INC-5. 2024. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Regulating-chemicals-of-concern-in-plastics-ahead-of-INC-5.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=An opportunity for Canada: Regulating chemicals of concern in plastics ahead of INC-5 |date=October 2024 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Regulating-chemicals-of-concern-in-plastics-ahead-of-INC-5.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2024opportunity, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{An opportunity for Canada: Regulating chemicals of concern in plastics ahead of INC-5}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Regulating-chemicals-of-concern-in-plastics-ahead-of-INC-5.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }