For the first time in Canada history, the five leading responsive producer organizations, including Eco Enterprises Quebec (EEQ), SK Recycles, Recycle BC, Multi-Material Stewardship MANITOBA, and Circular Materials, have come together to establish eco-design guidelines to improve the recyclability of paper and packaging products. The organizations proudly stated that these efforts will provide appropriate guidance to producers marketing goods across multiple territories or provinces throughout Canada.
Alongside the extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations for packaging and paper being implemented in various territories and provinces, the organization claims that eco-design is a major tool for improving the cost-efficiency and performance of recycling systems. The guidelines will reshape the future of sustainable packaging and redefine the eco-friendly approaches to the packaging sector.
EEQ President and CEO, Maryse Vermette, said, “EEQ has been the leading organization for 15 years as a leader in eco-design in Canada. By equipping eco-design into our EPR mandate, we are promising accountability and consistency, which are essential to fluctuating practices.”
The global harmonized and holistic guidelines are built strongly on the packaging recyclability and eco-design. EEQ established guidelines based on three major eco-design smart strategies. The three pillars defining the guidelines roof are reduction, procurement, and recyclability, each with a precise definition. The Reduction term refers to optimizing the weight, volume, and amount of product packaging to ensure it is sufficient for consumer use and product functionality.
The Procurement term empowers producers to select an environmentally responsible supplier and to operate jointly within a more traceable and visible supply chain. A supply chain that prioritizes the use of renewable, certified, and recycled materials. The Recyclability term motivates producers to design products that accelerate the compatibility of paper and packaging products with existing and developing recycling and classification infrastructure.
The leaders of these five organizations said, “The global harmonization of recyclability and eco-design guidelines is a mirror to our joint vision to help producers in their eco-design initiatives and help alleviate material recycling challenges at different processing and sorting levels. This partnership lays the groundwork for a national initiative that will advance the recycling of paper and packaging across the Canadian marketplace. This will improve environmental game and form a more circular economy.”
26 January 2026
26 January 2026
23 January 2026
23 January 2026