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Plastics – A Brief History

More Plastic History

Canada produces about 2 percent of the total world volume of plastic products, based on its proportion of world resin consumption.

In 2006 about 1540 establishments in Canada had as their principal activity the processing of synthetic resins into plastic products. This generated shipments valued at $20.4 billion and employed 94 700 people.

By weight, plastics comprise approximately seven per cent of the municipal solid waste stream, but because they are often used to make food containers, boxes and other bulky items, they can account for up to 20 per cent by volume. In Canada, over 40 different kinds of plastics are used.