The Canadian government has published finalized regulations prohibiting six types of single-use plastic, including shopping bags, cutlery, take-out containers, ring carriers, stir sticks, and with some exceptions, drinking straws. The ban follows the country’s significant change to the Canada Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) last year, which classified plastics as legally toxic.
The new regulations will be phased in over time, beginning with the ban on the importation and manufacturing of single-use plastic in December 2022, followed by the prohibition of sales by December 2023, giving businesses time to transition and run through existing stock. Finally, the exportation of single-use plastics, with some exceptions, such as flexible plastic straws used for people with disabilities, goes into effect in December 2025.
“We promised Canadians we would deliver a ban on single-use plastics. Today, that’s exactly what we’ve done,” said Steven Guilbeault, Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change, in an announcement. “By the end of the year, you won’t be able to manufacture or import these harmful plastics. After that, businesses will begin offering the sustainable solutions Canadians want, whether that’s paper straws or reusable bags. With these new regulations, we’re taking a historic step forward in reducing plastic pollution and keeping our communities and the places we love clean.”
