As stores ditch shopping bags, what’s next for Canada’s plastic ban?
Global News
The switch away from single-use plastics has not come without its challenges for businesses looking for sustainable and affordable alternatives.
Canadians might soon notice a change at the supermarket and liquor store as a new phase of the single-use plastic ban is set to go into effect later this month.
Starting June 20, the federal government will begin prohibiting the manufacture and import for sale of plastic ring carriers that are used to hold and carry beverage containers together. A full ban on sales will be enforced next year.
The upcoming prohibition of ring carriers is the second phase of Canada’s single-use plastic ban that kickstarted in December 2022 as the country targets zero plastic waste by 2030.
Some provinces, such as Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, have already had plastic bag bans in place for the last few years.
A growing number of grocery stores and restaurants in Canada have already stopped offering single-use plastic shopping bags, cutlery and take-out containers. As well, some drink companies have already swapped in cardboard versions of plastic ring carriers.
Loblaw, one of Canada’s largest retailers, has been gradually phasing out single-use plastics province-by-province by encouraging customers to bring their own bags and offering reusable alternatives available at checkout lanes.
So far, the switch has been rolled out in several of its franchise grocery stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories.
“The impact of plastic packaging waste has been a growing concern for our business and our customers,” said Sandra Kesseler, vice president of ESG integration and reporting at Loblaw Companies Limited.