Canada’s ban on the manufacture and importation of single-usage plastics has taken effect.
This ban is part of the country’s measures to to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030.
As of today, companies can no longer produce or bring into Canada plastic checkout bags, cutlery, stir sticks, straws and takeout containers — and in a year, it will also be illegal to sell them.
The one year gap is to “allow businesses in Canada enough time to transition and to deplete their existing stocks,” according to the government’s website.
The federal government estimates that getting rid of the single-use plastics will eliminate 1.3 million tonnes of difficult-to-recycle plastic waste and a million garbage bags’ worth of pollution.
Every year, Canadians throw away at least 3 million tonnes of plastic waste, with only nine per cent being recycled and the rest ending up in landfills, waste-to-energy facilities or nature, according to Environment Canada.
