Canada Makes a Major Move

Canada Makes a Major Move: Announces Ban of Single-Use Plastic

Sometimes you just have to take a stand.

Canada is stepping up in a big way on the sustainability front. In a sweeping move to address the 15 billion plastic checkout bags used each year in Canada and the 16 million plastic straws used EACH DAY in Canada, the country has announced that the manufacture and importing of single-use plastics will be banned by the end of the year.

The government of Canada announced the ban last week in an effort to address both plastic pollution and address climate change at the same time. While there are some exceptions made for medical reasons, the end is coming for plastic bags, cutlery, straws, and other food service items either made from, or including plastic when manufactured.

With an initiative this big, and I believe going big is the only way to put a dent in this problem, there will undoubtedly be pushback. Canada has announced that while the ban comes into effect at the end of this year, the sale of the items can continue through 2023, allowing companies time to sell down existing stock. I can imagine that the ban will make it a tough sell starting immediately, and Canadian promo companies with existing stock of single-use items should act accordingly.

As it is in the U.S., single-use plastic is the largest source of the plastic waste found on Canadian shores. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau started talking about drastic measures to eliminate plastic waste as far back as three years ago. Last week Trudeau made the announcement on Twitter, “Over the next 10 years, this ban will result in the estimated elimination of over 1.3 million tonnes of plastic waste and more than 22,000 tonnes of plastic pollution. That’s equal to a million garbage bags full of litter.”

According to Canada’s official announcement, the government worked with “Canadians and stakeholders alike to design the ban.” The Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, and the Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos, published the final regulations on exactly what the ban covers. It includes:

• checkout bags

• cutlery

• foodservice ware made from or containing “problematic plastics that are hard to recycle”

• stir sticks; and

• straws (with some exceptions)

Ring carriers and straws attached to juice boxes may get a little longer reprieve due to the “complexity of retooling manufacturing” according to the Canadian government. The government will also prohibit the export of plastics in the six categories (including the ring carriers and juice boxes) by the end of 2025, making Canada the first among peer jurisdictions to do so internationally.

In announcing the ban, Minister Guilbeault said, “We promised Canadians we would deliver a ban on single-use plastics. Today, that’s exactly what we’ve done. By the end of the year, you won’t be able to manufacture or import these harmful plastics. After that, businesses will begin offering the sustainable solutions Canadians want, whether that’s paper straws or reusable bags. With these new regulations, we’re taking a historic step forward in reducing plastic pollution and keeping our communities and the places we love clean.”

The Canadian government said the report entitled Science Assessment of Plastic Pollution helped to inform Canada’s policy development and actions, and guide research on plastic pollution in the country. To support assertions that the process was inclusive, it was noted that a draft of the regulations was published in the Canada Gazette for a 70-day comment period that began in December 2021. The feedback received was taken into consideration in the development of the final regulations announced.

In early summer, the Canadian government will begin to consult on approaches to a federal public plastic registry, and the development of labelling rules that would prevent the use of the “chasing arrows” widely recognized symbol on plastic items unless at least 80 percent of recycling facilities in Canada accept them, and they also have reliable end markets. This government will also present a proposal on the labelling of plastic items regarding their ability to be composted.

Moving toward a more circular economy for plastics could reduce carbon emissions by 1.8 megatons annually, generate billions of dollars in revenue, and create approximately 42,000 jobs by 2030 according to the Canadian government. Consider that, and the fact that a government release suggests “we love clean” and I think it sounds like something a lot of people could get behind.

The Global Outlook Plastics Report, published in February this year, reports bans and taxes on single-use plastics in over 120 countries are falling short of reducing overall pollution. While the use of plastic fell 2.2 percent during the height of the pandemic, it rebounded when more normal economic activity resumed in 2021. At the same time, littering increased, in part from food takeout containers.

Only 9 percent of plastic waste was recycled worldwide in 2019. The U.S. was worse than the world’s average, recycling only 4 percent of plastic waste that year. So, what do you think? Is there any national government you know of where it would be a good idea to adopt a similar initiative to Canada on single-use plastic? Hmmmm….