Canada has plans to ban single-use plastic products, including straws, stir sticks, utensils, six-pack rings, food containers, and plastic bags, by the end of 2021. The decision plays a part in the country’s ultimate goal to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030.
Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister for the environment, said:
Plastic pollution threatens our natural environment. It fills our rivers or lakes, and most particularly our oceans, choking the wildlife that lives there. Canadians see the impact that pollution has from coast to coast to coast.
At a press conference on October 7th, Wilkinson highlights that the targeted plastics are “harmful in the environment, difficult or costly to recycle, and there are readily available alternatives.”
The ban wouldn’t include personal protective equipment (PPE) and any other types of plastics used in the medical department, at least not while there are public health concerns from the coronavirus. However, authorities are working on strategies to ensure that discarded PPE doesn’t end up in the oceans or landscapes, and are looking into biodegradable alternatives.
Last June, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau first announced the plastics ban, with the government reporting that residents throw away over 3 million tons of plastic waste per year. Only 9% of that is recycled, while the remaining goes to waste-to-energy facilities, landfills, or ends up in the environment. The government is asking the public to offer feedback on the plan until December 9th.
By next year, the EU also plans to initiate a single-use plastic ban. However, officials are still deciding what the ban should include, which has delayed the process.
