[Podcast] Catching Up on Canadian Environmental Regulation
The Great Green North: A Discussion on Canada’s Environmental Regulations
Recent Actions on Ag Biotech by EPA’s Emerging Technologies Branch
An Update on the Legal Landscape Surrounding Plastic Pollution - It’s hard to reflect on “Our Power, Our Planet” this Earth Day without discussing plastic. Plastic is deeply embedded in our daily lives. Consider, for...more
Two significant developments have recently emerged concerning California’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law, SB 54, which aims to phase out single-use plastics. The landmark law for packaging and plastic food...more
Introduction - On December 31, 2024, the Government of Canada published a guide for reporting to the Federal Plastics Registry (Registry). As discussed in our previous bulletin, the Government of Canada established the...more
As extended producer responsibility (“EPR”) programs unfold in several U.S. states, Environmental General Counsel is using its international connections within IR Global – a multi-disciplinary professional services network –...more
The National Association for PET Container Resources (“NAPCOR”) issued a document titled: 2023 PET RECYCLING REPORT (“Report”). ...more
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently unveiled its National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution (Plastic Pollution Strategy), a comprehensive document that outlines voluntary measures and regulatory...more
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on November 21 published the National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution (the Strategy). Through the Strategy, EPA aims to address plastic pollution and its effects on human...more
In November 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") released its National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution, a comprehensive plan with the goal of eliminating the release of plastic waste into the...more
On November 21, 2024, the EPA issued its final National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution, as required by the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act. This comes after the Agency received almost 92,000 comments on its draft strategy. ...more
What Happened - On Monday, October 14, 2024, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecyle) opened a public comment period on changes to the previously proposed regulations implementing the...more
On September 26–27, 2024, a bipartisan group of state attorneys general (AGs) was joined by nonprofit advocates, academics, and industry stakeholders for a Plastics Forum convened by Connecticut AG William Tong and the State...more
A recent conference led by Connecticut Attorney General (AG) William Tong discussed the alleged problems and potential solutions associated with plastics use and waste. Conference attendees included nearly two dozen...more
California AG Rob Bonta sued global energy giant ExxonMobil Corporation for allegedly deceiving the public about the recyclability of plastic products and creating a global plastics pollution crisis in violation of state...more
The extended producer responsibility (“EPR”) programs for packaging that are currently unfolding in several states impose two primary obligations on producers of covered materials—reporting data and paying fees to a producer...more
In the 1967 movie “The Graduate,” a family friend famously tells the title character “I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Plastics. There’s a great future in plastics. Think about it.” Well, those of us engaged...more
The US has pivoted in its stance on the global management of plastic production and pollution, with significant potential impacts for industry. The shift comes amid ongoing negotiations toward a UN treaty aimed at addressing...more
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) published a consultation document on July 4, 2024, seeking input from stakeholders on a proposed roadmap for addressing plastic waste and pollution from the textile and apparel...more
On July 1, 2024, CalRecycle published an updated list of covered material categories as required by California’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) law. SB 54 was signed into law by Governor Newsom in June 2022 and...more
In my October 2023 blog post about “The Plastics Problem in Massachusetts,” I noted that environmental and some mainstream groups have been attacking traditional recycling of plastics in an effort to stop the manufacture of...more
As we wrap up our week-long celebration of Earth Day with insightful articles focusing on various aspects of plastic pollution, this final article focuses on how the courts are being asked to step into ring and referee the...more
Microplastics, plastics less than 5 millimeters in length, are becoming a growing concern due to their ubiquity and persistence in the environment and potential effects on ecological and human health. A 2017 publication by...more
This year’s Earth Day theme is “Planet versus Plastics.” When most people think of plastic pollution, their minds likely conjure up an image of single-use plastics—such as grocery bags, beverage container rings, or discarded...more
As we kick off Earth Day 2024, we look to this year’s Earth Day theme–“Planet versus Plastics.” Planet versus Plastics seeks to focus attention on the challenges that plastic pollution poses to the planet. In recognition of...more
On March 31, Circular Action Alliance (“CAA”), the Producer Responsibility Organization (“PRO”) for California, Colorado, and the only contender for PRO in Oregon, submitted the first draft of its Program Plan (“the Plan”)...more
Countries are preparing for a new round of negotiations on an ambitious legally binding international treaty to address plastics pollution across the entire life cycle of plastics per the UNEA 5.2 mandate in resolution 5/14....more