Imagine this: we could remove the equivalent of more than a million garbage bags full of rubbish every year. This is exactly what Canada is trying to do, because this northern country has just enacted the world’s leading ban on harmful disposable plastics. The ban will lead to an estimated disposal of more than 1.3 million tonnes of plastic recyclable waste and more than 22,000 tonnes of plastic pollution.
The United States contributes more to the polluting flood than any other nation, producing about 287 pounds of plastics a person per year.
The Canadian government is at the forefront of its international counterparts, banning harmful plastics and keeping them out of the environment. The announcement of 20 June outlined final regulations banning disposable plastics, including:
- cash bags
- cutlery
- goods for gastronomy made from problematic plastics or containing problematic plastics which are difficult to recycle
- ring carriers
- stir sticks
- most straws
Three milestones for the target year were presented:
- Plastics production will end in December 2022.
- The sale of plastics will be banned from December 2023 (18 months in between should give companies enough time to move and deplete existing stocks).
- The export of plastics in 6 categories will be banned until the end of 2025.
The event is part of a wider program to demonstrate leadership that protects biodiversity, promotes a healthy environment at home and around the world, and helps meet the commitments of the Ocean Plastics Charter and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Quick facts about harmful plastics
In Canada, up to 15 billion plastic cash bags are consumed each year, and approximately 16 million straws are used daily. Disposable plastics such as these make up the majority of plastic waste found on coasts across Canada.
Sales of disposable flexible plastic straws will be limited from December 2023. Exceptions to the straw ban allow disposable plastic straws to remain available to people in Canada who need them for health or availability reasons. This includes use at home, in social facilities or in healthcare facilities such as hospitals and long-term care facilities. All other types of disposable plastic straws will be prohibited.
From June 2023, bans on the production and import of ring carriers and flexible straws packed with beverage containers (eg juice boxes) will enter into force, and in June 2024, a ban on the sale of these items will enter into force. timelines recognize the complexity associated with redesigning production lines for these products.
The government has also released two guidelines: one to help businesses comply with regulations and the other to help businesses and people in Canada choose more sustainable alternatives to disposable plastics.
The Science Assessment of Plastic Pollution report, published on October 7, 2020, helped inform Canadian policy developments and measures and conduct research on plastic pollution in Canada.
The draft regulations were published in Canada GazettePart I, for a period of 70 days to comment on 25 December 2021. The feedback received was taken into account in the development of the final regulations.
Moving towards a more circular economy for plastics could reduce carbon emissions by 1.8 megatons a year, generate billions of dollars in revenue and create approximately 42,000 jobs by 2030.
In early summer, the Canadian government will begin consulting on approaches to the Federal Public Register of Plastics and the development of labeling rules that would prevent the use of the arrow symbol on plastic objects unless at least 80% of recycling facilities in Canada accept it. and have reliable end markets.
USA and harmful plastics
Some states have made some efforts, with New York introducing a ban on disposable plastic bags in 2020. Earlier this month, a California law was introduced to reduce the production of plastics for disposable products such as shampoos and food packaging. by 25% from the next decade.
The United States is the world’s leading contributor to plastic waste, and according to a report ordered by Congress, it needs a national strategy to combat the problem. The authors point out that the generation of plastic waste is directly related to the amount of plastics produced and used.
Contamination with harmful plastics is today a specific example of the devastation of pollution. The visibility of global ocean plastic waste, for example in connection with the growing documentation of its ubiquity, the devastating effects on ocean health and marine life and transport through the food web, has brought widespread public awareness. The report outlines how theoretically controlled solid waste in the United States should not contribute to plastic waste from the oceans, the authors say because it is contained in processing and / or transformation into other products (recycling, composting, incineration) or contained in an engineering landfill environment.
In practice, plastic waste still “leaks” from controlled waste systems when blown out of bins, either intentionally or unintentionally through actions such as illegal dumping and dumping, or where it is unregulated. Recycling presents many problems, including incompatibilities between different types of plastics and large differences in processing requirements.
On World Oceans Day, June 8, 2022, Home Secretary Deb Haaland issued Secretary of State Order 3407 to restrict the purchase, sale and distribution of disposable plastic products and packaging to dispose of disposable plastics. products on land administered by the ministry until 2032. The regulation is part of the implementation of President Biden’s executive order 14057, which calls on federal agencies to minimize waste and promote markets for recycled products. This includes plastic and polystyrene containers for food and beverages, bottles, straws and cups.
Final thoughts
The resolution adopted by the United Nations in March sets out an ambitious plan to create a legally binding treaty to reduce plastic waste. A global agreement to “end pollution from plastics” could result in a reduction in plastics production or the introduction of rules that would make plastics easier and less toxic for re-use.
“High and rapidly increasing levels of plastic pollution are a serious global environmental problem,” said a UN resolution, which also recognized “the urgent need to strengthen global coordination, cooperation and governance so that immediate action can be taken towards a long-term elimination period.” plastic pollution ’.
However, the draft agreements are preliminary and have recovered from the oil and petrochemical industries.
US orders are the starting point, but a comprehensive approach will be needed to solve the problem of harmful plastics in the US. Start locally. Contact your favorite beverage retailer to request refillable containers. Call corporations that use tricks to hide their responsibilities for plastics production. Become a pest to your state lawmakers and ask them to hold plastics pollution producers accountable.
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