Canada will ban the production of single use plastics by year’s end

Canadian companies will not be allowed to produce or import single-use plastics by December 2022.

According to a statement from the government, the ban applies to checkout bags, ring carriers, cutlery, stir sticks, straws, and foodservice containers made with “problematic plastics” that make it hard to recycle.

Further, the government will prohibit the sale of single-use plastic items, except for plastic rings, in December 2023. The one-year gap will allow companies to transition to alternative products and deplete their stocks.

Canada will ban the exportation of the products by the end of 2025.

The government will ban the manufacturing and importing of ring carriers and plastic straws attached to containers (like juice boxes) in June 2023. The ban on selling them will come into effect on June 2024. The government said the delayed timeline addresses the “complexity associated with retooling manufacturing lines for these products.”

We promised to ban harmful single-use plastics, and we’re keeping that promise. The ban on the making and importing of plastic bags, cutlery, straws and other items comes into effect in December 2022 – and selling these items is prohibited as of December 2023.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 20, 2022

Single-use plastic straws will continue to be available for medical and accessibility reasons in homes, social settings, and healthcare settings, like hospitals.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada