Canada to Ban Harmful Plastics in Dec. 2023

Facts

• On Mon., Canada announced a ban on the manufacturing and importing of 'harmful' single-use plastics, including checkout bags, utensils, stir sticks, straws, and ring carriers.¹
• The ban begins in Dec. 2022, making Canada the first among its peers to implement such changes. By the end of 2025, Canada expects to also ban the exporting of these harmful goods.²
• Canada previously announced a plan to ban single-use items in homes, but environmental groups and advocates pushed for stronger regulations that spurred the expansion to a full ban on usage.³
• The sale of plastics will continue through Dec. 2023 to allow businesses an opportunity to plan for and transition to environmentally safe alternatives.¹
• A Canadian study found that in 2019, 3.3M tons of plastic were thrown away and found in landfills, 29K tons of which became litter and pollution in parks, forests, waterways, and shorelines.⁴
• Under the 2021 Canadian Environmental Protection Act, plastics were listed as toxic, paving the way for the release of Monday's regulations. The federal government hopes to eliminate plastic waste from landfills, beaches, and waterways by 2030.⁵

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²Guardian, ³Abc news, ⁴PBS NewsHour and ⁵Global news.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Victoria. Canadians should celebrate this as a victory for the environment. Plastic pollution has damaged the environment for far too long, and it will take every resident, business, and level of government to comply with the new regulations for a safer and more environmentally friendly Canada.
• Narrative B, as provided by The conversation. Be careful what you ask for! Enacting bans on plastic may lead to switching to more harmful materials. Paper bags require more energy to produce and they cause land devastation from the clearing of trees. While plastic bags are made to be an environmental damage culprit, they provide less devastation to land and they don't supercharge climate change. Biodegradable bags could lead to soil and water source pollution as well.