Canada’s construction sector is generating far more plastic waste than many project teams and policymakers have historically tracked, according to a new national benchmarking study tied to the Construction Plastics Initiative.
The study, led by environmental services group Light House, in partnership with Circular Economy Leadership Canada, analyzed plastic diversion data from 253 LEED-certified construction projects completed between 2009 and 2019 across seven provinces.
Using a standard intensity metric of kilograms per square metre (kg/m²), researchers found typical plastic waste diversion levels ranging from 1.1 to 2.7 kg/m², with institutional and residential projects producing the highest volumes per unit of floor area.
Institutional and Residential Projects Lead Plastic Diversion Volumes
Institutional buildings recorded the highest average plastic diversion intensity at 2.71 kg/m², followed by residential at 2.42 kg/m². Commercial and industrial projects came in lower, while educational buildings posted the lowest average at 1.12 kg/m².
The study notes that building type appears to influence outcomes, with complex interior fit outs, higher volumes of protective packaging and layered subcontractor activity likely contributing to higher plastic generation and diversion potential on institutional and residential sites.
Researchers also flagged wide variation within each building category, suggesting that project specific practices and reporting methods can significantly change results.
Provincial Differences
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By province, Ontario and Quebec posted higher average diversion intensities than several other regions in the dataset, with the analysis identifying a statistically significant gap between Alberta and Quebec.
The report cautions that smaller sample sizes in some provinces limit the strength of conclusions about regional performance, and that differences in waste infrastructure and reporting practices may influence results.
Clean Packaging Is a Major Opportunity, But Tracking Lags
A central finding is that roughly 80 percent of construction plastics, largely clean packaging and film, could be diverted from landfill if consistently tracked, separated and processed.
However, the study points to persistent barriers, including commingled waste streams, limited regional recycling capacity and green building reporting systems that often fail to separate plastics by material type.
Compliance Pressure Builds Ahead of Federal Registry Expansion
The report arrives as the federal government plans to expand the Federal Plastics Registry in 2026, requiring construction firms to report how much plastic they generate, recycle and dispose of.
To help close current gaps, the Construction Plastics Initiative has launched pilot projects in British Columbia to test how separated plastics can be processed into new building materials, with results expected in spring 2026.
The study calls for a national standard for construction waste reporting and stronger supplier contractor coordination, including packaging take back programs, to help the sector meet upcoming federal requirements.
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