Pollution prevention planning for primary food plastic packaging

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), Women’s Healthy Environments Network (WHEN), and Breast Cancer Action Quebec (BCAQ) advocate for mandatory, transparent pollution prevention plans for large grocery chains to reduce single-use plastic food packaging. They argue that reuse systems are the most effective waste reduction method and demand that any new packaging be free of toxic chemicals like PFAS and phthalates. The organizations emphasize that plastic production is a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions and that plastic-related health harms disproportionately affect marginalized communities, including Indigenous peoples in Canada.

• The authors argue that large grocery chains must be held accountable for reducing single-use plastic food packaging and should not use cost as a justification for avoiding sustainable packaging systems.
• Pollution prevention plans should prioritize the total elimination of packaging, particularly for produce, and the implementation of efficient reuse and refill systems with tracked return rates.
• The organizations demand that any new packaging adopted under these plans be entirely free of specific toxic chemicals, including PFAS, phthalates, bisphenols, fluorinated polymers, brominated flame retardants, chlorinated paraffins, and benzotriazole UV stabilizers.
• The authors call for robust, publicly accessible reporting on plan implementation and outcomes, asserting that a lack of transparency would undermine the credibility of the plans.
• The document urges the government to move beyond voluntary compliance and require grocery retailers to demonstrate that food packaging materials are safe and comply with Division 23 of the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations.
• The authors highlight the significant link between plastic and climate change, noting that the plastics industry is the fastest-growing source of global industrial greenhouse gases and could account for 19% of the total global carbon budget by 2040.
• The document asserts that plastic-related health and environmental harms disproportionately impact women, children, racialized people, and Indigenous communities, citing Sarnia, Ontario, and the Aamjiwnaang First Nation as examples of communities negatively impacted by plastics manufacturing.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2023). Pollution prevention planning for primary food plastic packaging. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Joint-Comments-re-Pollution-prevention-planning-notice-for-primary-food-plastic-packaging-CAPE-WHEN-BCAQ-August-30-2023-3.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Pollution prevention planning for primary food plastic packaging. 2023. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Joint-Comments-re-Pollution-prevention-planning-notice-for-primary-food-plastic-packaging-CAPE-WHEN-BCAQ-August-30-2023-3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Pollution prevention planning for primary food plastic packaging |date=30 August 2023 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Joint-Comments-re-Pollution-prevention-planning-notice-for-primary-food-plastic-packaging-CAPE-WHEN-BCAQ-August-30-2023-3.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2023pollution, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Pollution prevention planning for primary food plastic packaging}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2023}, month = aug, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Joint-Comments-re-Pollution-prevention-planning-notice-for-primary-food-plastic-packaging-CAPE-WHEN-BCAQ-August-30-2023-3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }