Only Two and a Half Months to Go, and Single-Use Plastic Is History in Canada

Following a report that clearly states that plastic pollution is harmful to the environment, the government of Canada has issued a national ban on single-use plastic as soon as 2021 under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

“We will be moving towards a ban on harmful single-use plastics and we will be doing that in 2021,” says Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson. “I think the Canadian public wants to see action quickly so certainly if there is a phase-in period, it won’t be an extensive one.”

Some companies have already moved forward: since January 31, 2020, the Sobeys grocery chain has banned plastic bags, removing 225 million units from circulation. In 2018, under the G7 summit, Canada pledged that all plastic products would be reused, recycled, or burned to produce energy by 2040. As for microplastic, scientists will have access to a $2.2 million fund over two years to pursue their research.