Subhead:Taxpayers are footing the bill for the government to store tens of millions of pieces of expired personal protective equipment.#
The federal government admits it is still storing 21 million pieces of expired pandemic supplies years after the COVID-19 emergency, according to a newly released response to a parliamentary written question.
In a response to Conservative MP Dave Epp’s Order Paper Question Q-780, the government confirmed that about 21 million pieces of expired personal protective equipment (PPE) remain in the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile as of January 31, 2026.
The figure comes after the government previously disclosed to a House of Commons health committee that roughly 64 million units had expired in the stockpile at one point.
Officials say the numbers fluctuate as the government slowly works through recycling or disposal.
