Government of Canada bans single-use plastics
by CM Staff
The federal government stated that it wants to ensure all plastic packaging in Canada contains at least 50 percent recycled content by 2030. It has also stated its commitment to prohibiting misleading recycling labels not in line with existing disposal systems.
OTTAWA — The Canadian government is moving forward with a comprehensive plan to address plastic pollution in the long term that includes a ban on certain harmful single-use plastics in the short term.
Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, and the Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos, announced that draft regulations prohibiting certain single-use plastics have now been published for public comment.
The draft regulations reflect input from thousands of Canadians who participated in consultations held by the federal government beginning in 2019. Many of these participants were Canadians who voiced support for banning single-use plastics.
According to a statement from the government of Canada, the regulations would prevent an estimate of more than 23,000 tonnes of plastic pollution from entering the environment over a ten-year period—the equivalent of one million garbage bags of litter.
The federal government stated that it plans to bring this ban into force towards the end of 2022, but it must first finalize the regulations and consider all comments received.
In order to formulate the regulations brought forth in the new ban, the federal government relied on scientific research it compiled under the Science Assessment of Plastic Pollution from autumn of 2020. The Canadian government also stated it will soon publish draft guidance to help businesses adapt to the new plastics ban but has yet to provide a date.
Based on the data collected by the Canadian government, the country recycles only nine per cent of plastic waste. The federal government stated that it wants to ensure all plastic packaging in Canada contains at least 50 percent recycled content by 2030. It has also stated its commitment to prohibiting misleading recycling labels not in line with existing recycling systems. Finally, the federal government stated that it plans to ensure plastics producers, not taxpayers, are held responsible for the cost of managing their plastic waste across all provinces and territories.
“We are taking action to get plastic pollution out of Canada’s communities and our waterways. The proposed Single-Use Plastics Prohibition Regulations are a big step forward in our goal to reduce plastic pollution and move to a circular economy for plastics. Smart, clear and collaborative regulations will help drive innovation across the country as reusable and easier-to-recycle items take their place in our economy,” said Guilbeault in a statement.
