We’re taking a surgical, targeted approach to our ban on harmful single-use plastic items. The plan will ban items where there is evidence that they are a major pollutant in the environment, are rarely recycled, and have readily available alternatives for businesses to use as an alternative. Based on those criteria, the six items the Government proposes to swiftly ban are plastic checkout bags, straws, stir sticks, six-pack rings, cutlery, and food ware made from hard-to-recycle plastics.

Plastic is polluting our rivers, lakes, and oceans, harming wildlife, and generating microplastics in the water we use and drink. Every year, Canadians throw away 3 million tonnes of plastic waste, only 9%of which is recycled, meaning the vast majority of plastics end up in landfills and about 29,000 tonnes finds its way into our natural environment. Canadians expect the Government to take action to protect the environment and to reduce plastic pollution across the country.