In response to the harm caused by plastic waste to ecosystems, the Canadian government has begun taking action. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on June 10, 2019, that Canada would ban most single-use plastic products by 2021, including plastic bags, straws, utensils, and stirrers.
Trudeau made the announcement at the Gault Nature Reserve in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, a suburb of Montreal.
The Canadian government has not yet finalized the list of banned plastic items. However, a government source revealed that the banned items will likely include: single-use plastic bags, plastic water bottles, plastic straws, plastic utensils, beverage stirrers, takeout containers, expanded polystyrene (EPS) cups, and other items.
The official also stated that Trudeau’s Liberal government is studying the European Union’s approach and hopes to learn from its experience. In March 2019, the European Parliament passed a wide-ranging bill requiring EU member states to ban single-use plastic products such as straws, utensils, and cotton swabs starting in 2021. The EU is also encouraging member states to gradually reduce the use of plastic packaging and adopt stricter labeling requirements.
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadians discard more than 34 million plastic bags every day. These bags typically end up in landfills, where they can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.
In June 2018, at the G7 summit held in Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada and four other major economies signed the Ocean Plastics Charter, agreeing to find ways to combat marine plastic pollution. The signatory countries committed to taking measures to curb plastic pollution, with some already enacting laws to reduce plastic consumption.
A report commissioned by Environment Canada from Deloitte and ChemInfo Services showed that in 2016, only 9% of Canada’s plastic waste was recycled, while 87% ended up in landfills. This highlights that Canada’s plastic pollution problem still urgently needs to be addressed.
Banning many single-use plastic products is both necessary and meaningful.
Our eco-friendly disposable tableware is an excellent alternative to single-use plastic products. Bagasse pulp tableware (bagasse plates, bagasse containers, bagasse bowls) is non-polluting, biodegradable, and compostable. Our paper straws and bamboo straws are also degradable products that can replace non-degradable single-use plastic straws. In addition, we offer other eco-friendly food packaging products. Please feel free to contact us for more information.
