Ban On Several Single Us Plastics, Take Effect Today In Canada

Plastic cutlery, stir sticks, and bangs are all a part of the single-use plastic prohibition

The call for protecting the environment has grown louder as each year passes. Whether it be pollution from fossil fuel or a ban on single-use plastics, they are both hot-button issues climate activists have demanded the Canadian Federal government address. 

Today, Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and several of the country’s ministers announced the following essential steps in the Government of Canada’s ban on harmful plastics. Single-use plastics that are harmful to the environment and consume more energy are prohibited in Canada starting December 20, 2022:

• checkout bags
• cutlery
• foodservice ware made from or containing problematic plastics that are hard to recycle
• stir sticks
• straws (with some exceptions)

“We promised Canadians we would deliver a ban on certain harmful single-use plastics. Today, we’re following through on that commitment by prohibiting the manufacture and import in Canada of five of the six categories of these harmful single-use plastics. With this ban, and our participation toward achieving a global treaty, we’re joining the global effort to reduce plastic pollution and protect our wildlife and habitats. There is a clear linkage between a world free of plastic pollution and a sustainable world, rich in biodiversity—a world that also best supports the health and economic security of Canadians, protects our environment, and helps in the fight against climate change.” Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

With the single-use ban coming into effect today, they are prohibited from being manufactured or imported into the country. As of December 20, 2023, these specific plastics will be banned from being sold within the country. The ban extends to drink containers packaged with flexible straws as of June 2024 and other plastics in 2025. 

The move has drawn approval from Canadians across the country; however, some groups are taking the government to court as they feel they are overreaching and affecting their ability to earn an income. Despite the government’s approach to gradually phase out specific types of plastics, any lawsuits challenging the current laws will be an uphill endeavour to overturn.