Chemicals and Polymers

Welcome to the chemicals and polymers section of the New Substances website. This portion of the website is intended to provide you with information on the New Substances Program as it relates to chemicals, polymers, biochemicals, and biopolymers.

The CEPA New Substances Notification Regulations for chemicals and polymers have been in place since July 1, 1994 and revised in October 2005. These regulations are an integral part of the federal government's national pollution prevention strategy. As part of the "cradle to grave" management approach for toxic substances laid out in CEPA 1999, these regulations were created to ensure that no new substances are introduced into the Canadian marketplace before an assessment of whether they are potentially toxic has been completed, and any appropriate or required risk management measures have been taken.

Click on the appropriate heading on the left to find out more information about the notification and assessment aspects of the program for chemicals and polymers.