Covering a report to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Economic Study of the Canadian Plastic Industry, Markets and Waste, the Times Colonist wrote June 5, 2019 that the "analysis of Canada’s plastic industry shows the industry producing plastic dwarfs the industry trying to recycle it... Generally, it is cheaper and easier to produce new plastic, use it and then throw it away than it is to recycle, reuse or repair it. The voluntary standards for contents of plastic products, and additives like glues and labels, mean there is a lack of consistency in the plastic materials available for recycling. That, in turn, makes them more expensive to recycle."

The report said that "zero plastic waste cannot be achieved without concurrent, strategic interventions by government, industry stakeholders and the public across each stage of the plastic lifecycle and targeted at sectors" and recommended five sets of interventions, including "create sector-specific requirements for collection (e.g., extended producer responsibility, performance agreements)."