The federal government recently reaffirmed its commitment to reduce plastic pollution, but the plastics lobby is working hard to make sure it doesn’t happen.

 

We can't afford further delays. 

 

Last fall, the government announced it will add plastics to the Toxic Substance List under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). It also released a list of six single-use plastic items it’s considering banning: grocery bags, straws, cutlery, six-pack rings, some takeout containers, and stir sticks.

 

It’s a start, but it’s not enough. Already, the plastics industry is challenging the validity of the CEPA-listing and is lobbying to block the proposed ban on problematic single-use plastic items.

 

We can’t let our environment be controlled by special interests. Canada needs to transition to a circular economy, where reduce, reuse, and repair are prioritized, and problematic single-use plastics are banned.