--- title: "Canada Announces Ban on Single-Use Plastics" description: "The Canadian government has announced it will ban single-use plastics by 2021. It will examine scientific evidence first to come up with a list of items." date: "2019-06-10" modified: "2019-06-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/canada-ban-single-use-plastics" categories: - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "canada" - "environmental policy" - "plastic ban" - "the digest" --- # Canada Announces Ban on Single-Use Plastics ![The Canadian government has announced it will ban single-use plastics by 2021. It will examine scientific evidence first to come up with a list of items.]() *\Image: Wikimedia Commons/Victor Tangermann\* ## 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]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()