Environment Canada has issued regulations banning the use of single-use plastics in the country. Canada's Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault and Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos have issued regulations banning single-use plastics, including checkout bags, cutlery, dining utensils made of or containing plastic that is difficult to recycle, ring carriers, stirring sticks and straws (with some exceptions). According to a press release from Environment Canada, the ban on the production and import of these single-use plastics will come into effect in December. The government will allow businesses time to transition and exhaust existing stocks of these single-use plastic products by December 2023. The ruling also bans the export of these six types of plastics until the end of 2025. Environment Canada says it expects the ban to eliminate more than 1.3 million metric tons of hard-to-recycle plastic and more than 22,000 metric tons of plastic pollution. "We made a commitment to Canadians that we would ban single-use plastics. Today, that's exactly what we did, "Guilbeault said. "By the end of this year, you won't be able to manufacture or import these harmful plastics." After that, businesses will start offering sustainable solutions that Canadians want, whether it's paper straws or reusable bags. With these new regulations, we are taking a historic leap forward in reducing plastic pollution and keeping our communities and the places we love clean." Some trade associations expressed concern about the ruling The Plastics Industry Association (Plastics) in Washington said it was disappointed by the ban. "The neglect of manufacturing jobs on both sides of the border is concerning," said Matt Seaholm, president and CEO of Plastics. "The lack of comprehensive economic analysis in implementing such sweeping regulations is truly frustrating." As a result of this action, plastics companies will have to lay off staff or close facilities altogether. "Our members never want to see their product end up where it doesn't belong. But while banning a product will certainly make it disappear, replacing it with alternatives that are likely to have a greater impact on the environment is completely counterproductive." Seaholm added that these regulations ignore opportunities to recycle single-use plastics. "Banning these products will increase costs for businesses and consumers in the United States and Canada, without doing anything to significantly reduce waste or waste." The Canadian Chemical Industry Association (CIAC), based in Ottawa, Ontario, also expressed disappointment with the ban. "Banning some single-use plastic products will not solve the overall problem of plastic pollution and post-consumer plastic management," CIAC said. "We are disappointed that safe, inert plastic materials that play such an important role in Canadians' lives are being banned when innovative technologies such as advanced recycling effectively manage them," said Elena Mantagaris, Vice President, Plastics Division, CIAC. "We need to invest in recycling infrastructure and innovation, including managing compostable infrastructure rather than bans, to harness the $8 billion worth of plastic that is currently sent to landfills and recycled in the economy." CIAC reported that it plans to work with the Canadian federal government to understand the scope of the ban's impact on businesses.
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