Get ready for the Canadian federal single-use plastics ban this year!

What is the Single-Use Plastics Ban?

Single-use plastics are, as their name implies, plastic products designed to be used once and then disposed of.  Under the existing Canadian Environmental Protection Act (federal), plastics were placed on the Federal Toxic Substances List. Later this year, new regulations will be developed and implemented to officially ban single-use plastics in Canada.

Banning single-use plastics is a significant component of our federal government’s goal of achieving zero plastic waste in Canada by the year 2030, a goal that we can all support in both our personal lives and as procurement professionals.

Why the ban?

Every year, Canadians dispose of 3 million metric tons of plastic waste, with only 9% of that being recycled — meaning the vast majority of plastics end up in landfills or littering our environment. According to our federal government, single-use plastics are a major component of the litter found in freshwater environments in Canada, one of our province’s and this country’s proudest resources.

What items are covered under the ban?

The ban will include single-use plastic items such as plastic bags, stir sticks, utensils, containers, straws and even six-pack rings used on beverage cans!

Check out review the compostable dinnerware specification page of the SPM website to transition from single-use plastic to compostable dinnerware.