The Canadian government has declared that the manufacture and import of a variety of "dangerous" single-use plastics will be prohibited, with numerous new restrictions set to take effect in December.
The new laws, which go into effect on Monday, will apply to checkout bags, utensils, food-service products containing difficult-to-recycle plastic, ring carriers, stir sticks, and straws, with limited exceptions, according to the government."When it comes to decreasing plastic waste, our administration is all in… "That's why, today, we're announcing that our government is following through on its promise to ban dangerous single-use plastics," Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said during a press conference on Monday.
"This is a watershed moment in the fight against plastic pollution and the preservation of our communities, lands, and oceans."
Starting in December 2023, the sale of such items will be forbidden, giving firms time to adjust to the changes and wind down their existing supply
By the end of 2025, the government will also prohibit the export of six plastics.Last year, the federal government declared plastics to be harmful under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, paving the path for rules banning some of them. In a case set to be tried later this year, a group of plastics companies is suing the government over the hazardous designation.According to the government, Canada consumes 15 billion plastic checkout bags each year and 16 million straws per day.
According to a recent UN assessment, worldwide plastic use is anticipated to triple by 2060, with yearly production of fossil fuel-based plastics reaching more than 1.2 billion tonnes by that time. Such levels of output would generate more than 1 billion tonnes of garbage per year.
Such stories have contributed to a growing sense of concern around the world about the predominance of plastics and the pollution and environmental problems they bring.Over the previous 70 years, the globe has generated around 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic, with 60% of it being dumped in landfills, oceans, and rivers, or burned.Despite the government's promises to give firms time to react, some manufacturing groups in Canada have previously stated their opposition to the planned regulations. The laws, according to conservative organisations like the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), impair "possible developments" in the plastics business and "would cost the economy without a guarantee of benefitting the environment." MEI receives at least 6% of its funding from the oil and gas industry.
"We consulted widely to solicit information to guide the development of the Draft Regulations, and heard that businesses needed help on moving to available alternative products and systems," the Canadian government said.
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