Government of Canada Launches Public Consultation on Draft Single-use Plastics Regulation
On December 21, 2021, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, and the Minister of Health, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, announced draft regulations prohibiting certain single-use plastics that have been published for public comment. The Canadian public can provide written comment on the draft regulations until March 5th, and the timing of the final regulations is dependent on the quantity of feedback.
The draft regulations reflect input received through consultations conducted by the federal government since 2019.
The proposed regulations target the following categories of single-use plastic manufactured items:
- checkout bags
- cutlery
- foodservice ware made from or containing problematic plastics
- ring carriers
- stir sticks
- straws
It is estimated the regulations will prevent more than 23,000 tonnes of plastic pollution from entering the environment over a ten-year period—the equivalent of one million garbage bags of litter.
The Government of Canada has also published draft guidance to help businesses transition away from the six categories of plastics listed in the proposed regulations. The draft guidance document is also open for comments until March 5, 2022.
It is the Government’s intent to finalize these Regulations and bring the ban into force as quickly as possible and as early as late 2022 after reviewing and considering comments received. Review the proposed regulations and provide your feedback before March 5.
