OTTAWA -- The Government of Canada is moving forward with banning harmful use of single-use plastics
On Dec. 21, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, and the Minister of Health, Honourable jean-Yves Duclos, announced the draft regulations prohibiting certain single-use plastics.
This regulation demonstrates input from extensive consultation by the Government of Canada since 2019, including thousands of Canadians who voiced their concerns and supported the banning of certain single-use plastics.
As part of the government’s plan, these draft regulations represent their goal to continue moving forward with a detailed plan to address plastic pollution, in the long-term, and thus serve to prevent more than an estimated 23,000 tonnes of plastic pollution from entering the environment over a 10-year period.
The Government intends to finalize these Regulations and bring the ban into force as early as late 2022.
The Government of Canada's approach to banning harmful single-use plastics is based on evidence, facts and rigorous science. The proposed Regulations brought forward last week reflected the findings of the Science Assessment of Plastic Pollution, which the Government finalized in October 2020, that confirmed that plastic pollution is everywhere in the environment and that it has harmful environmental impacts.
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change stated that "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."
The Government’s announcement indicated it will soon publish draft guidance to help businesses adapt to the requirements of the proposed Regulations.
With only 9 per cent of plastic waste currently being recycled in Canada, another key component of the Government’s plan is to establish regulated standards to increase the use of recycled content in certain plastic products. Thus, it expressed a commitment to ensure that all plastic packaging in Canada contains at least 50% recycled content by 2030.
Other levels of government also have played important roles in addressing this challenge, with many local municipalities, provinces and territories taking action to improve the management of plastic waste.
This Government’s Canada-wide Strategy and action plan includes putting in place guidelines to support consistent approaches to producer responsibility across Canada so that companies, that manufacture, import, or sell plastic products and packaging are responsible for collecting and recycling them in a coordinated effort.
An increasing number of retailers, and restaurants in the market have already taken action to avoid using single-use plastics.
"Reducing plastic pollution creates a healthier living environment for all, because we know that plastics break down into tiny pieces that can get into water streams and be eaten by animals. These regulations will contribute to our commitment to getting rid of certain single-use plastics." The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health.
As these regulations were announced in Ottawa, it was also recognized that medical patients and people with certain disabilities require using single-use flexible plastic straws to eat, drink, or take medication.
Therefore, the proposed Government Regulations would ensure that these straws continue to be available for people who require them and allow for their continued use in healthcare settings, such as hospitals and long-term care facilities.