The International Trade Council (ITC) welcomes the decision of the Canadian government to ban the manufacturing and import of “harmful” single-use plastics. The new regulations, announced on 20 June 2022, will be effective from December 2023 and will prohibit the sale and import of checkout bags, utensils, food-service products with plastic that is difficult to recycle, ring carriers, stir sticks, and straws, with some exceptions. The government has also listed six types of plastic that will be banned for export by the end of 2025.
According to the Canadian government, the decision to impose such restrictions is to reduce plastic pollution and keep the communities, lands, and oceans clean. Canada produces 15 billion plastic checkout bags and uses 16 million straws per day. The ITC welcomes this initiative as it is aligned with the United Nations report that predicted the global use of plastics would triple by 2060, and the production of fossil fuel-based plastics will reach over 1.2 billion tonnes annually by the same year, generating over 1 billion tonnes of waste per year.
“The ITC congratulates the Canadian government on this historic step towards reducing plastic pollution,” said the spokesperson for the International Trade Council. “We commend the Canadian government’s efforts to prioritize environmental concerns and encourage other nations to follow suit to protect the environment for future generations.”
The ITC supports initiatives taken by governments, businesses, and the general public to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics, especially in areas where it is difficult to recycle. The council believes that reducing plastic pollution is a global responsibility that requires collaborative action from all sectors to make a significant impact.