Canada's ban on single-use plastic items delayed until 2022

While the government announced in the fall of 2020 that its ban on several single-use plastic items would take effect by the end of this year, Environment and Climate Change Canada now says final regulations will be published some time next year instead.

According to Samantha Bayard, spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change Canada, a draft of the proposed regulations will be published “in the coming weeks,” followed by a period of time allotted for public comment. Once the final regulations are published, there will be a transition period for retailers and other companies to comply with the ban before it actually takes effect, she wrote in an email to CTVNews.ca.

The ban on six single-use plastic items, including checkout bags, cutlery and straws, is part of the federal government’s larger plan to eventually eliminate plastic waste in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Canadians expect the Government to take action to protect the environment and to reduce plastic pollution across the country,” wrote Bayard. “A key part of Canada’s plan to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030 is a ban on harmful single-use plastic items where there is evidence that they are found in the environment, are often not recycled, and have readily available alternatives.”

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadians discard three million tonnes of plastic waste each year, and only nine per cent of it is recycled. A recent study conducted by Deloitte and Cheminfo Services Inc. shows that the majority of plastics introduced to the Canadian market and discarded as waste in 2016 were actually packaging materials. This included plastic bags, bottles and other items commonly used in the food and beverage sector.