Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada‘s Minister of Environment and Climate Change has announced a nationwide plan to ban single-use plastics such as bags, straws, stir sticks, cutlery, six-pack rings and food containers.
The ban is set to be enforced by the end of 2021, giving businesses and people time to adapt and adjust. “When a ban comes into effect, your local stores will be providing you with alternatives to these plastic products, like reusable or paper bags in place of plastic,” Wilkinson explains.
“I know it is presently hard to come back from the grocery store without a single-use plastic item … You use it, you throw it in the recycling bin and more often than not, it ends up in a landfill,” Wilkinson says. “This has to change, which is why we’ll be working with grocers and industry leaders and provinces and territories to keep more plastic in our economy through recycling.”
In regards to why the ban is being signed into law, reports indicate that the aforementioned list of single-use plastics are difficult to recycle and can be easily replaced with more eco-friendly alternatives. According to Canada’s federal government, 3 million tonnes of plastic waste is generated by Canadians every year, with only 9 percent being recycled.
In addition to the single-use plastics ban, a new proposal to require at least 50% recycled content in plastic products and packaging was introduced. The new proposal is said to radically improve recycling infrastructure and promote a more circular economy.
Overall, the single-use plastics ban and new proposal are part of Canada’s ambitious goal of achieving zero plastic waste by 2030.
