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.

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“The 64 million units referenced represents a point in time measure of expired inventory that is continuously shifting,” the response states. “As of January 31, 2026, the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile is lifecycle managing approximately 21 million units of expired personal protective equipment.”

Millions spent warehousing unusable equipment

While the stockpile sits unused, taxpayers are continuing to pay millions of dollars in storage costs.

According to the government’s response, Ottawa spent:

• $4.07 million in 2022-23
• $7.84 million in 2023-24
• $4.19 million in 2024-25
• $5.06 million so far in 2025-26

Most of the money went to Metro Supply Chain, a third-party logistics contractor storing the supplies.

Federal officials say the surplus exists because Ottawa purchased more than four billion pieces of medical countermeasures during the pandemic to support provinces and territories. More than two billion units were distributed, but demand later dropped, leaving large volumes sitting in storage.

Expired medical supplies cannot be deployed, officials said, meaning they must eventually be recycled or destroyed.

Questions about pandemic procurement

The Order Paper question also asked whether the government had been alerted to falsified laboratory reports connected to PPE contracts during the pandemic.

The government said that whenever quality concerns arose, the products were quarantined and reviewed. The stockpile conducts inspections, independent testing and regulatory checks before approving equipment for use.

The government also says it is now attempting to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers by maintaining a surge supply and signing long-term contracts with domestic manufacturers for respirators and masks.