The Trudeau government will ban the sale of certain “harmful” single-use plastic objects by the end of 2023, but also their export within three years. Ottawa hopes to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in the environment each year, while barely 9% of what is used in Canada is currently recycled.
Under the regulations that were announced Monday morning in Quebec City, the manufacture or import of six objects will be prohibited by the end of 2022, then the export by the end of 2023: shopping bags , utensils, beverage container rings, stir sticks, and “food containers made wholly or in part of problematic hard-to-recycle plastics.”
As for straws, they can still be manufactured and sold, but with constraints. “For example, it will be available for use at home, in social settings, and in medical settings, such as hospitals and long-term care facilities,” the statement from the federal government.
“By the end of the year, it will be prohibited to manufacture or import these harmful plastics. Subsequently, companies will begin to offer the sustainable solutions demanded by Canadians, whether it be paper straws or reusable bags,” said federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
29,000 tons
“We need to eliminate plastic pollution and move to a circular economy,” he added. According to federal government estimates, the new regulations will eliminate 22,000 tonnes of “plastic pollution” over a 10-year period, “equivalent to more than a million garbage bags full of trash.”
By comparison, currently approximately 29,000 tonnes of plastic are dumped into the environment each year in Canada. Canadians use more than 4.6 million tonnes of plastic each year. However, barely 9% of this plastic is currently recycled. However, the Trudeau government has pledged to reach a recycling target of 90% by 2030.
A “scientific assessment” commissioned by Ottawa has already highlighted the fact that there are several uncertainties about the health impacts of our chronic exposure to plastic particles.
“Humans can be exposed to microplastics by ingesting food, bottled water, and tap water, as well as by inhaling indoor or outdoor air. However, information on the effects of these microplastics on human health is limited, and further research is required to better determine target tissues, threshold doses and modes of action,” the document noted.
The analysis also indicated that pollution by plastic particles is very present in our daily lives. “Sources of indoor air pollution from microplastics include fiber loss from clothing, furnishings, carpets, and household goods, while microplastics polluting outdoor air come from a variety of sources, including vehicle tire wear. »
Further details will follow.