OTTAWA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Canadian government said on Tuesday that the country is developing a federal plastics registry to help tackle plastic pollution.

       Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault has launched a consultation on the creation of the Federal Plastics Registry, which will be used as a tool to monitor and track plastic from the time it is produced to its end of life, according to a news release issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada.

       The proposed registry would require producers to report annually on the quantity and types of plastic they place on the Canadian market, how that plastic moves through the economy, and how it is managed at end of life.

       The registry would collect data on major categories of products that contain plastic which include packaging, single-use and disposable products, construction, transportation, home appliances, electronics and electrical equipment, tires, textiles, fishing and aquaculture, and agriculture and horticulture, the release said.

       In 2019, Canadians threw away 4.4 million tonnes of plastic waste, only 9 percent of which was recycled, according to the release.