Responsible Plastic Use Coalition (CNW Group/Responsible Plastic Use Coalition)
One week after the federal government listed plastic manufactured items as “toxic” under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), a group Canadian plastics firms have formed a coalition to launch a court challenge against the move.
The Responsible Plastic Use Coalition (RPUC) – currently made up of 27 companies, including Dow Inc., Berry Global Group, Nova Chemicals Corp., Emmerson Packaging, HymoPack, Malpack Ltd., Polykar, IPL Plastics Inc., Ingenia Polymers, and Polytarp Products – said it filed a Notice of Application in the Federal Court of Canada challenging the government’s May 12 order.
“[The toxic designation] is not supported by available science and will have far reaching and unintended consequences, including those beyond our borders,” the group said in a May 19 statement. “The federal government’s approach does not recognize that most plastic manufactured items are considered to be safe and comply with national and international standards, and in the case of plastics used for food packaging, are required to comply with federal government regulations ensuring that they are safe for use.”