Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jonathan Wilkinson, recently announced the four winners of the latest Canadian Plastics Innovation Challenges. These small and medium-sized Canadian companies will each receive up to $150,000 toward developing their solutions to address plastic waste.
“The Government of Canada is pleased to support made-in-Canada solutions to plastic waste and pollution,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “Small businesses are key partners in achieving Canada’s vision of a zero-plastic-waste future by 2030.”
The following companies are receiving funding to develop their proof of concept:
- Magemi Mining Inc. in Markham, Ontario, is developing a durable recycled paper to serve as a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging like grocery bags.
- CACITH Inc. (Tengiva) in Montréal, Quebec, is creating a network of recyclers to quantify textile waste and find new markets for otherwise wasted materials.
- Met-Tech Inc. in Burlington, Ontario, is developing a low-cost process to recycle more textile waste such as clothing.
- Singular Solutions Inc. in North York, Ontario, is developing a biosustainable additive that will cause plastic textile waste to biodegrade in long-term-composting landfill facilities.
The Canadian Plastics Innovation Challenges are part of the Innovative Solutions Canada program. The Challenges target plastics sectors that generate some of the greatest quantities of plastic waste and show the greatest opportunity for impact and innovation. These challenges are part of the Government of Canada’s commitments to reduce plastic waste, while growing the economy and creating good jobs.
“There is a unique opportunity for two of Canada’s emblematic industries, mining and forestry, to join forces and leverage the rapid innovation in graphene technologies to bring forward to Canadian households graphene-enhanced paper products, which are biodegradable, recyclable, and extremely durable,” said Maria Christova, financial services lead with Magemi Mining Inc. “We are very proud to have this nanotechnology project that creates equal opportunities for cross-industry apprenticeship and research and which will engage Indigenous communities while helping Canada to achieve its vision of a zero-plastic-waste future.”
