Canada’s life cycle activities and product policies

Abstract

Canada’s approach has been to pursue life-cycle management (LCM) on a voluntary basis, rather than using a command and control approach. LCM is seen as a valuable tool to promote pollution prevention particularly with respect to internal environmental performance improvements by industry. Current public policy applications of LCM range from eco-labelling criteria to packaging waste reduction strategies to toxics management. Future activity will focus on the monitoring of international activity in this area, particularly in relation to trade issues and methodology development, the promotion of LCM nationally, and the development of LCM tools for use by Canadian industry and governments.