Under the recently disclosed rundown of single-use plastics being restricted in Canada, plastic grocery bags, straws, stir sticks, six-pack rings, cutlery and food containers produced using hard-to-recycle plastics will be out of utilization nationwide before the finish of 2021.
Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson is reporting the federal government’s next steps towards its arrangement to accomplish zero plastic waste by 2030.
As first pledged a year ago, and committed once again in the Liberal’s September throne speech, the government is pushing forward with restricting certain “harmful” single-use plastics that are reliably found in the climate and for which there are promptly accessible other options, while discovering approaches to ensure more plastic is recycled.
Citing the need to consult, the government will be soliciting feedback on a “discussion paper” until Dec. 9. The finalized new regulations wouldn’t come into effect until the end of 2021.
In the spring, Wilkinson signalled that the ban on single-use plastics may be delayed because of the pandemic. By the summer, a Canadian report found that public support for a crackdown on certain products was dwindling as the majority of those surveyed said they liked the health and safety protections associated with disposable plastics over reusable alternatives.
Citing the ongoing need for single-use plastic personal protective equipment items like face shields, the federal government says the ban will not impact access to PPE.
However, due to the pandemic and ongoing health restrictions, many restaurants have had to pivot to take-out meals and are providing customers with plastic cutlery, and it remains to be seen what kind of financial impact this looming ban will have on these businesses.
When the ban on single-use plastics was first announced, the federal government said it would be focusing on holding big companies responsible for their plastic production, requiring them to play a part in collecting and recycling their materials.
Wednesday’s announcement includes a proposal to establish recycled content requirements in products and packaging, which the federal government says will spark investment in recycling infrastructure and innovation in technology to extend the life of plastic materials.
Wilkinson is also committing $2 million for a zero plastic waste initiative, to go to 14 Canadian-led projects.
According to the federal government, Canadians throw away three million tonnes of plastic waste a year, and only nine per cent of that gets recycled, and about one-third of the plastics used in Canada are for single-use or short-lived products and packaging, including up to 15 billion plastic bags used every year and close to 57 million straws used daily.
Photo credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
News source: CTV News
