Canada set out its final regulations on Monday, explaining how it intends to enforce a ban on plastic bags, straws, take-away packaging and other disposable plastics.
“Only 8% of the plastic we throw away is recycled,” said French Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos in French, adding that 43,000 tons of disposable plastics a year reach the environment, mostly on waterways.
Duclos was joined by Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault on a beach in Quebec City to announce the final regulatory text, which includes a ban on single-use plastic bags, cutlery, straws, pallets, transport rings and takeaway containers.
The ban on manufacturing and importing these six types of items will begin in December 2022, and a ban on selling them a year later. By the end of 2025, Canada will also ban exports, making it “the first among equal jurisdictions to do so internationally,” according to a government press release.
“The Canadian population was very clear with us,” he said about the prevalence of plastic in soil, air, drinking water and food. “They are tired of seeing plastic rubbish in the parks, on the streets [and other locations]. ”
The regulations have some notable exceptions. Retailers will be able to sell flexible single-use plastic straws if they are packaged next to a beverage container and provided the packaging is out of place.
They will also be allowed to sell packages of 20 or more disposable straws, as long as they are kept out of sight of the customer.
Bans on plastic packaging for consumer goods, the world’s largest source of plastic waste, are also absent from the new regulations, although Canada is committed to ensuring that all plastic packaging contains at least 50% recycled content by 2030.
In 2018, Canada led the creation of the International Charter for Oceanic Plastics, which has since been signed by 28 countries, including France, Germany and Costa Rica. The promise includes measures to reduce plastics use and work with industry to increase plastics recycling rates.