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Coming into force of the amendments to the Products Containing Mercury Regulations in June 2025

 

Environment and Climate Change Canada and would like to remind stakeholders of the following:

 

On June 19th, 2025, amendments to the Products Containing Mercury Regulations will come into force. 

As a reminder, these amendments were published in the Canada Gazette,  Part II,  on June 19th, 2024, as the Regulations Amending the Products Containing Mercury Regulations. 

The main objective of the amendments is to protect Canadians by lowering the risk of mercury releases into the environment from products containing mercury. The amendments will also enable Canada to meet its international obligations for mercury-containing products under the Minamata Convention, and its domestic commitment to phase out the most common types of lamps containing mercury under Canada’s National strategy for lamps containing mercury.

As a summary, the key amendments are: 

  • On June 19th, 2025, products for which mercury-free alternatives now exist and products that are no longer imported or manufactured in Canada will be prohibited.

    • Examples: cold cathode tubing for signage or cove lighting (i.e. neon signs), photographic paper and films, radiation and infrared light detectors. Catalysts used in the manufacturing of polyurethane will also be prohibited on December 31st, 2025.

  • Between 2025 and 2030, the import, manufacture and finally the sale of the most common types of lamps containing mercury used for general lighting purposes will be gradually prohibited.

    • Examples: compact fluorescent lamps, straight fluorescent lamps, non-linear fluorescent lamps.

  • Lamps used for specialized purposes will continue to be exempted and will require reporting under different product categories. 

    • Examples: lamps to grow plants, to sanitize air or surfaces, to treat water, lamps used in projectors.

  • Certain administrative aspects of the Regulations will be clarified.

    • Example: aligning reporting timelines with those of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The next reports are therefore due by March 31st, 2026 (on 2025 data), and by March 31st, 2028 (on 2027 data).  

 

For more information on the Products Containing Mercury Regulations, you may consult the attached factsheet or our newly published Compliance Guide. For any inquiries on products containing mercury, or if you wish to be removed from this distribution list, please contact us

Links to the factsheet: 

English - https://cscb.ca/en/media/document/eccc-factsheet

French - https://cscb.ca/en/media/document/produitscontenantmercure-ficheinfo-fra-2024pdf

 

 

 

 

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Disclaimer

The foregoing information is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered, professional advice or a substitute for conducting your own thorough research and review. Before making any decisions or taking any action based on the information provided, you should conduct your own independent investigation and/or seek professional advice from a qualified expert in the relevant field. The CSCB disclaims all liability for actions taken or not taken based on the information provided.