Human Rights Measure
Government of Canada Launches New COVID-19 Related Challenges to Help Reduce Environmental Impact of PPE in Canada
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry announced “two challenges through the Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) program to make personal protective equipment (PPE) more compostable and recyclable.” The challenges seek solutions for: “the efficient and cost-effective recycling of disposable PPE waste generated in the Canadian health care system” and “the manufacturing of compostable disposable surgical masks and compostable disposable respirators to be used by health care workers.”
In May 2021, the government “announced the selection of eight companies that will receive a total of $8 million in funding” through this program. Recipients include Roswell Downhole Technologies Incorporated and Precision ADM which will “propose solutions to manufacture compostable disposable surgical masks and compostable disposable respirators for healthcare workers” and GreenMantra Technologies Limited and Terragon Environmental Technologies Incorporated which will “propose solutions for efficient and cost‑effective recycling of disposable PPE waste.”
