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Bill C-337

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First Session, Forty-fourth Parliament,

70-71 Elizabeth II – 1 Charles III, 2021-2022-2023

HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA

BILL C-337
An Act to establish a national strategy on the reduction of textile waste
FIRST READING, June 6, 2023

Mr. Davies
441265


SUMMARY

This enactment provides for the development of a national strategy on the reduction of textile waste.

Available on the House of Commons website at the following address:
www.ourcommons.ca


1st Session, 44th Parliament,

70-71 Elizabeth II – 1 Charles III, 2021-2022-2023

HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA

BILL C-337

An Act to establish a national strategy on the reduction of textile waste

Preamble

Whereas Canadians send nearly 500 million kilograms of textile waste to landfills every year;

Whereas more than half of textile waste in Canada could be reused, and almost a quarter could be recycled;

Whereas textiles are one of the fastest growing waste streams owing to rapidly changing fashion trend cycles and low prices, which have led to an increase in clothing consumption and disposal;

Whereas the clothing and textile industry is responsible for up to eight per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions;

Whereas approximately 215 trillion litres of water per year are consumed by the clothing and textile industry;

Whereas between 200,000 and 500,000 tonnes of microplastics from textiles enter the global marine environment each year;

And whereas hazardous chemicals used in textile production pose significant risks to human health and the environment;

Now, therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

Short Title

Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the Textile Waste Reduction Strategy Act.

Interpretation

Definitions

2 The following definitions apply in this Act.

Indigenous governing body means a council, government or other entity that is authorized to act on behalf of an Indigenous group, community or people that holds rights recognized and affirmed by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.‍ (corps dirigeant autochtone)

Minister means the Minister of the Environment.‍ (ministre)

Textile Waste Reduction Strategy

Development

3 (1) The Minister must, in consultation with the representatives of the provincial governments and Indigenous governing bodies responsible for the environment, as well as with other relevant stakeholders, develop a strategy to reduce textile waste in Canada.

Content

(2) The strategy must include measures to

  • (a) facilitate the reuse, repair, repurposing and recycling of textiles and support the development of textile recycling technology and infrastructure across Canada;

  • (b) promote the extension of the product lifetime of textiles;

  • (c) educate consumers, designers, manufacturers and retailers about how they can each contribute to preventing waste in the fashion industry;

  • (d) require polluters to pay for the full cost of textile waste and encourage industry collaboration in textile design, collection, sorting and recycling;

  • (e) study different financial incentives for textile manufacturers to improve supply chain sustainability by adopting circular supply models;

  • (f) examine removing the sales tax from repair services to encourage consumers to have garments repaired;

  • (g) impose textile labelling transparency requirements, including for recycled content and chemicals used in the manufacturing process;

  • (h) impose prohibitions on the use of fabrics and dyes that negatively impact human health and the environment;

  • (i) support decarbonization of the supply chain and reduction of water consumption in the textile industry;

  • (j) implement sustainable design and production requirements to control microplastic emissions from textiles; and

  • (k) prevent the export of unusable textile waste to developing countries.

Reports to Parliament

Tabling of strategy

4 (1) Within two years after the day on which this Act comes into force, the Minister must prepare a report setting out the strategy and cause it to be tabled in each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed.

Publication

(2) The Minister must publish the report on the website of the Department of the Environment within 10 days after the day on which it is tabled in both Houses of Parliament.

Report

5 (1) Within five years after the report referred to in section 4 has been tabled in both Houses of Parliament, the Minister must prepare a report on the effectiveness of the strategy that also sets out the Minister’s conclusions and recommendations.

Tabling of report

(2) The Minister must cause the report to be tabled in each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed.

Publication

(3) The Minister must publish the report on the website of the Department of the Environment within 10 days after the day on which it is tabled in both Houses of Parliament.

Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons

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