The Problem with Plastic
The world has a plastic problem. One need not look very far to see images of plastic wreaking havoc on the environment; animals killed by stomachs full of plastics, rivers choked by plastic garbage and the Great Pacific Garbage patch to name a few. Our over reliance on disposable plastic has created devastating effects on wildlife and the environment.
It is encouraging that Canada is beginning to address this problem.
On Dec.20, 2022 the first phase of the Canadian Government’s plastics ban came into effect. This initial phase prohibits the manufacture and import for sale in Canada of checkout bags, cutlery, foodservice ware, stir sticks and straws (i.e., straight straws). So companies can no longer produce or import these items and in a year it will be illegal to sell them.
The federal government estimates that this will lead to a reduction of 1.3 million tonnes of difficult-to-recycle plastic waste and a million garbage bags’ worth of pollution.. The ban on manufacturing is the first phase of many in an effort by the federal government to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030.
While this is a step in the right direction, environmental groups argue that much more needs to be done. The government is starting with the most common and harmful items but isn’t ruling out banning other single-use plastic products. That’s important because those banned make up only about five per cent of Canada’s plastic waste.
Recycling is only a partial solution as less than 10 percent of plastic waste in Canada is recycled, with 3.3 million tonnes, much of it packaging, thrown out annually, according to the CBC.
In order for this ban to be effective, we need to have sustainable options available and prevent companies from switching to alternatives that are no better. Our governments also need to do a better job of holding the industry accountable. As the oil industry faces rising concerns about pollution, climate disruption and global instability, it’s been looking to plastics to increase demand. Along with creating plastic waste the production of plastic is a major pollution source, with an average of five tonnes of CO2 emitted per tonne of plastic – more if it’s burned, which is roughly twice the CO2 produced by a tonne of oil.
Although Canada’s plastic ban is a step in the right direction, there’s much more to be done. Just as we need to phase out fossil fuels, we need to eliminate their plastic byproducts. The government of Canada has taken a step in the right direction and it is up to consumers to send a strong signal with their buying choice that single use plastic is not the right choice for the planet and its inhabitants.
By Joanna Wiebe
Sources
https://davidsuzuki.org/story/canadas-plastics-ban-is-a-necessary-first-step/
cover photo: https://www.nwf.org/Home/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2019/June-July/Conservation/Ocean-Plastic