Environmentally preferable packaging

In Canadian federal procurement, environmentally preferable packaging means packaging that is reusable, returnable, or recyclable, while eliminating or minimizing single-use plastics. The standard solicitation and contract language exists to reduce the plastic waste generated through the procurement process.

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) lists it as a non-commodity-specific green-procurement criterion. It applies to goods that arrive in packaging, so it reaches a wide range of bids, from office supplies to specialized equipment. Suppliers see it as a clause in the solicitation and, later, as an obligation in the contract. Details are on the PSPC mandatory criteria page.

Policy Notification PN-158 and its origin

PSPC introduced the standard language under Policy Notification PN-158, effective September 7, 2023. It was developed in support of the Greening Government Strategy: A Government of Canada Directive and federal actions addressing plastic waste. The CanadaBuys announcement of the new language describes the objective, and the green procurement policy page sets out the wider policy framework.

Reusable, returnable and recyclable: what each means in a bid

The language rests on three packaging types. Each carries its own supplier responsibility.

• Reusable packaging is packaging that the end user can use again. Suppliers must verify with the contracting authority whether the packaging can be reused by the end user.
• Returnable packaging is packaging the contractor takes back, or that is returned through an agreed arrangement.
• Recyclable packaging is packaging accepted by the recycling facilities serving the delivery location. Suppliers must ensure it is accepted locally.

Packaging that cannot be recycled or reused by the end user must be taken back by the supplier at no additional cost to Canada. The CanadaBuys buyer's guide on green procurement sets out these supplier confirmations.

Exceptions and qualifications in the standard language

The standard language is not applied identically in every solicitation. Contracting authorities may omit or adjust it where goods require specialized packaging, where delivery is to remote areas with limited recycling options, or where the requirement would create a significant barrier to supplier participation. It may also be adjusted for concerns involving accessibility, health, safety, or national security.

Solicitations may also define terms such as specialized packaging and excluded material, and they state whether the requirement is mandatory or only rated or encouraged. Read these definitions closely, because they differ between documents. The Supply Manual annexes carry the standard wording used by contracting officers.

Where the requirement appears in federal solicitations

For goods supplied in packaging, federal contracting officers must include the standard language in solicitation and contract documents. It shows up across departments:

• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police made environmentally preferable packaging a mandatory requirement in a procurement for body bags and body-bag liners.
• National Defence solicitations have included specifications that packaging be reusable, returnable, or recyclable, as in this request for proposals.
• Requests for proposals for equipment, supplies, and other packaged goods carry the clause, for example this solicitation.

What it means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

Check every goods solicitation for the environmentally preferable packaging clause and note whether it is mandatory or rated. Plan packaging before you price, because take-back of non-recyclable, non-reusable packaging is at your cost. Confirm recycling acceptance at each delivery location, and ask the contracting authority whether the end user can reuse your packaging. Where your goods need specialized packaging or deliver to a remote site, look for the exception wording and raise questions during the solicitation period instead of assuming relief. Bids that treat packaging as a compliance item, not an afterthought, avoid avoidable disqualification on mandatory requirements.