Canada Announces Ban on Single-Use Plastics

"To be honest, as a dad, it’s tough to explain to my kids."

Last Straw

The Canadian government has announced it will ban single-use plastics as soon as 2021.

According to the CBC's government source, things like straws, drink stirrers, plates, cutlery and balloon sticks are on the lengthy list of items that will be banned — though the government has given itself more time to examine evidence to identify the most harmful single-use plastic products.

Think of the Children

Prime minister Justin Trudeau spoke of the negative impacts of leaving plastics in nature.

"To be honest, as a dad, it’s tough to explain to my kids," he said during Monday morning's announcement. "That’s the fate of our kids if we don’t act."

The EU approved a ban on a similar list of single-use plastic items in March. Seattle became the first major American city to ban plastic straws and utensils in July 2018.

Big Polluters

Trudeau is planning to hold "the Coca-Colas and Unilevers of the world" responsible for the entire life cycle of all the products they produce, he said, rather than making it more challenging for much smaller businesses.

According to an official statement, less than 11 percent of plastic used in Canada gets recycled.  Canadians throw more than 34 million plastic bags away every day.

The news comes after the Philippines sent back some 1,500 tons of rotting garbage back to Canada. The Duterte government claimed Canada shipped the waste illegally to Manila.

READ MORE: Government to ban single-use plastics as early as 2021: Source [CBC]

More on single use plastics: The EU Approved a Ban on Single-Use Plastics