Statement from Mayor Helps on Federal Announcement to ban harmful single-use plastics
VictoriaOct 24, 2022
On Mon., Canada announced a ban on the manufacturing and importing of "harmful" single-use plastics, including checkout bags, utensils, stir sticks, straws, and ring carriers.
The ban begins in Dec. 2022, making Canada the first among its peers to implement such changes. By the end of 2025, Canada expects to also ban the exporting of these harmful goods.
Canadians should celebrate this as a victory for the environment. Plastic pollution has damaged the environment for far too long, and it will take every resident, business, and level of government to comply with the new regulations for a safer and more environmentally friendly Canada.
Be careful what you ask for! Enacting bans on plastic may lead to switching to more harmful materials. Paper bags require more energy to produce and they cause land devastation from the clearing of trees. While plastic bags are made to be an environmental damage culprit, they provide less devastation to land and they don't supercharge climate change. Biodegradable bags could lead to soil and water source pollution as well.