Driving Sustainability Through Trusted Data
Why Sustainability Matters for Businesses
Sustainability is no longer optional, as businesses face increasing pressure from governments, consumers and investors to reduce environmental impact and enhance transparency. From sustainable packaging to ethical sourcing, companies must navigate complex data requirements to stay competitive and compliant. In Canada, evolving regulations highlight the need for standardized, accurate data to ensure compliance and responsible decision-making. By prioritizing ethical sourcing, impact reduction, and transparency, businesses can meet regulatory demands, build trust, and drive long-term success.
Navigating Growing Data Demands
As sustainability requirements become more stringent, businesses must track and share data across the entire supply chain, from sourcing and production to distribution and end-of-life recycling. Accurate, transparent data is essential, making standardized data and visibility across the supply chain crucial.
As regulations and demand for sustainable products grow, GS1 Canada is collaborating with industry to address complex data needs using GS1 standards, our established infrastructure and 25 years of trusted partnership.
For 25 years, GS1 Canada has facilitated standardized data sharing across industries. Now, the focus expands to include sustainability use cases, such as carbon footprint data for ESG reporting and packaging material tracking for extended producer responsibility. By integrating sustainability attributes into existing frameworks, GS1 Canada helps businesses meet evolving regulatory demands while ensuring transparency, efficiency and compliance.
Join Our Sustainability Work Group
Join the conversation as we address current industry needs, identify future requirements and develop globally standardized solutions, focusing on verification of sustainability claims, certifications and audits, enhancing data sharing for reporting and recyclability labelling.
GS1 Canada’s Role in Sustainability
In response to industry asks, GS1 Canada is enhancing ECCnet Registry , Canada’s largest bilingual product registry, with new attributes and functionality to support sustainability reporting, centralized data management, and verified claims and certifications.
Over the past year, GS1 Canada has collaborated with industry leaders across grocery, foodservice, pharmacy and general merchandise to develop new attributes that streamline data capture, enhance reporting and forecasting, accelerate regulatory compliance, and support informed decision-making. These enhancements will empower businesses to meet sustainability requirements with confidence while driving long-term value.
Enhancements to better serve industry Coming Soon:
- Industry voted attribution to support federal, provincial and extended producer responsibility reporting
- Enhance regulatory compliance and protect brand integrity by securely managing documentation that supports verified sustainability claims
- Streamline Sustainability data collection by using standardized request templates and assigning data entry to the appropriate subject matter experts, reducing duplication and inefficiencies
- Boost trust and confidence through new verification services, including checks for empty package weights and material identification
- Provide meaningful insight for strategic decision-making with new reporting capabilities
What Industry Partners Are Saying…
“…it makes a lot of sense to embed key sustainability data into a product code such that customers are supplied with the information and potentially result in a much more efficient approach to supplying data.”
Manufacturer/Brand Owner
Grocery & Foodservice
“The gathered information could be used to evaluate sustainability initiatives within the company – a good way to self-audit and investigate internally on future solutions.”
Retailer/Distributor
General Merchandise
“So strictly from looking at the data and the file… it is exciting because everything that we get asked about is captured, or potentially captured, in that document.”
Manufacturer/Brand Owner
Grocery
What Can Your Business Do?
Businesses can begin focusing on sustainability by prioritizing one or two key areas that are important to both their operations and their customers, such as packaging or ingredients. Assessing current packaging and exploring sustainable packaging materials is a great place to start. By selecting these priorities, businesses can lay a solid foundation for their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts. Accurate, standardized data is crucial for meeting regulatory requirements and enabling informed decision-making.
Partnering for Change
Support for Recycling Programs
New Quebec Regulations for Aluminum Beverage Packaging – Are You Ready?
Certain aluminum beverage containers sold in Quebec must now be identified. Providing this data supports the deposit system and ensures that eligible containers can be returned for a refund.
Trusted Partnerships
GS1 Canada is a Proud Member of Leading Sustainability Organizations
Read the Canadian discussion paper exploring the future of sustainable packaging: Improving Data Collection, Reporting & Transparency within the Plastics Packaging Value Chain.
Be Part of the Solution
Together, we can drive positive change for a stronger circular economy. Join us on the journey!
Get Involved
Join Our Sustainability Work Group
Join the conversation as we address current industry needs, identify future requirements and develop globally standardized solutions, focusing on verification of sustainability claims, certifications and audits, enhancing data sharing for reporting and recyclability labelling.
Let’s Connect
How Can GS1 Canada Support Your Sustainability Initiatives?
Let's connect and explore the possibilities! Reach out to Pam Horvatis, Senior Vice President, Industry Relations, or Dave Ramlogan, Vice President, Environmental, Social and Governance, at ESGinfo@gs1ca.org
Join Us
Industry Events and Webinars
Explore our list of upcoming industry events and webinars, highlighting engagements we host, attend, or share on behalf of our partners, GS1 Global and other GS1 member organizations.