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From Canola Fields to Bioplastics: Tackling Canada’s Agricultural Plastic Waste

  • Writer: Meal2Materials Team
    Meal2Materials Team
  • Apr 1
  • 2 min read

Canada’s Agricultural Plastic Waste Problem

 

Canada generates approximately 61,754 tonnes of agricultural plastic waste each year, from bale wrap and grain bags to fertilizer jugs and silage tarps (Cleanfarms, 2021).


That’s almost 2% of all plastic waste Canada produces annually (Cleanfarms, 2021).


It may sound like a small slice, but these plastics are some of the hardest to manage: they're often contaminated, scattered across rural landscapes, and have limited end markets.


As a result, they are burned, buried, or landfilled, contributing to degraded soils, microplastic pollution, and rural litter (Cleanfarms, 2011).


It’s a small percentage, but a big opportunity.


Where It Comes From


Over 53% of Canada’s ag plastic waste is produced in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. These Prairie provinces are home to vast acreages of field crops and livestock operations, and are key farming regions. Ontario and Quebec follow, generating 37% combined.


Field Crops Are the Largest Source


Field crops account for 59% of ag plastic waste, an estimated 36,767 tonnes annually. These plastics include seed bags, fertilizer packaging, net wrap, and grain storage films. This is the front line for action.


Our Solution: Canola Meal into Compostable Plastics


Meal2Materials is tackling this challenge by transforming agricultural byproducts into sustainable materials.


We’re taking canola meal, the byproduct left after oil is pressed from canola seeds, and using it to create biodegradable plastics, films, coatings, and agri-materials designed to replace hard-to-recycle plastics at the source.


Our Goals Are Simple:

  1. Advance Canada’s Bioeconomy by unlocking new uses for agricultural byproducts.

  2. Reduce Environmental Impact by upcycling canola meal into sustainable, compostable materials.


Check out the Global Distribution of Canola via this interactive crop explorer map and imagine what we can build with Canola.

Aligning with National Goals


This initiative supports Canada’s Zero Plastic Waste Strategy and strengthens circular economy principles, merging climate action with agricultural innovation.


Rethinking Waste as Opportunity

Canada’s farm plastic problem is real, but it’s solvable. By transforming canola meal into sustainable materials, we’re building a future where farms don’t just grow food, they grow solutions.


Stay tuned at Meal2Materials.ca to learn more and join the conversation.




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