National Strategy for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Disposal of lamps Containing Mercury Given Royal Assent

June 26, 2017

Canada is committed to protecting the environment and safeguarding the health of Canadians from toxic substances. Mercury remains a risk to Canadian ecosystems and human health which is why the Government of Canada is taking action to address public concerns about the disposal of lamps containing mercury.

The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, was pleased to see Bill C-238 receive Royal Assent in the Senate. This Private Member’s Bill was put forward by the Member of Parliament for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, Darren Fisher, and it requires the Minister to work with provincial and territorial governments to develop a National Strategy to ensure that lamps containing mercury are safely disposed of. This work will be done in consultation with Indigenous Peoples, environmental groups, and industry and will build on efforts by other jurisdictions and industry that are already underway.

In February 2017, the Government published a voluntary Code of Practice designed to encourage retailers, transporters, and recyclers to incorporate best practices in their management of end-of-life mercury-containing lamps, to prevent the release of mercury into the environment.

The Code also supports the objectives of the Minamata Convention, a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury, which was ratified by Canada on April 7, 2017. 

“Our Government is unwavering in its commitment to safeguard the environment and the health of Canadians from the effects of mercury. We will work closely with all interested groups in developing a National Strategy, building on efforts that are already underway.”

– Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change