Plastic Part 3 – Facts & Figures & Politics

Plastic Part 3 – Facts & Figures & Politics

Plastic Waste

Some of the latest figures show where we are and how fast change is needed.

• In 2021, Canadians discarded nearly 5.0 million tonnes of plastic across all waste streams (residential, industrial, commercial, construction etc.), which amounts to about 130 kilograms per person.  
• About 40,262 tonnes leaked into the environment in 2021 (i.e. it wasn’t properly captured or handled. A slight decline from 2020/2019 but not a big drop.  
• Packaging remains the largest contributor to plastic pollution environmental leakage: in 2021, ~17,600 tonnes of packaging plastic (bottles, non-bottle rigid plastic, film, caps etc.) escaped into the environment.  
• The food & drink sector is a major source. Nearly half (≈ 47%) of all plastic waste in Canada comes from there.  
• Recycling rates remain low for most plastics, except a few like PET bottles. Many plastics are hard or costly to recycle due to mixed resins or contamination.  

So the problem is big, growing, and difficult to solve purely via recycling or waste management alone.

What Canada Is Doing: Laws, Regulations, Reporting & Local Action

Here are the key recent / upcoming actions at various levels (federal, provincial, municipal) that help reduce plastic pollution.

Level	Key Action	What It Does / Timeline
Federal Canada	Single-Use Plastics Prohibition Regulations (SUPPR)	Banned manufacture, import, sale of certain single-use plastics (checkout bags, cutlery, certain kinds of foodservice ware, ring carriers, stir sticks, straws, etc.).  Timelines are staggered (e.g. some bans came into force in December 2022, others later).
	Federal Plastics Registry	Companies that import, manufacture or place above certain thresholds plastic packaging, single-use/disposable plastics, electronics, etc., must report types, amounts, resin types, etc. Reporting Phase 1 (for 2024 data) is due in 2025.  This aims to give the government more data/visibility, which is necessary for regulation, enforcement, and targets.
	Zero Plastic Waste Vision & Strategy	Canada has set a goal of “zero plastic waste” by around 2030; efforts include better design, improved collection / recycling infrastructure, labelling / recycled content rules.
Provincial / Regional	British Columbia	B.C. has its Single-Use and Plastic Waste Prevention Regulation: phasing out single-use items, restricting certain types of plastic bags, food service ware, Oxo-degradable plastics, etc. Some bans are already in effect (e.g. shopping bags, some food service items like utensils) as of 2023-2024.  There are further restrictions planned (e.g. PVC film wrap, polystyrene foam meat trays) with future dates (2028-2030).
	Many provinces / municipalities	Across Canada, municipalities and provinces have enacted bans or fees on plastic bags or banned specific items. For example, in Atlantic Canada, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador, and Nova Scotia have province-wide bans on plastic checkout bags.  Some municipalities in NB also have bylaws.
Industry / Multi-stakeholder Action	Canada Plastics Pact (CPP) Roadmap to 2025	A voluntary collaborative action plan among governments, businesses, and NGOs to move toward a more circular economy for plastic packaging. Targets include reducing plastic waste, improving recycling, and improving product/packaging design.  Progress has been slower than hoped in some areas, especially in recycling rates for rigid plastics, but there’s movement.

What You and Your Community Can Do Locally

Besides waiting for regulations, there are many actions individuals, local governments, schools, and businesses can take. Some are pretty simple; others require more organization.

• Support / Participate in clean-ups: Shoreline cleanups, riverbank cleanups, etc.
• Help to remove plastics that have already leaked, and raise awareness. An example is the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.  
• Encourage or lobby for local bylaws: If your town or municipality doesn’t already have restrictions on single-use plastics (bags, straws, utensils, foam containers), you can encourage your council to adopt them.
• Reduce your use of single-use plastics: Bring reusable bags, water bottles, and utensils. Avoid overpackaged products. Choose products with minimal or recyclable packaging.
• Support businesses that adopt sustainable packaging. Choose restaurants/stores that use compostable or reusable alternatives. Encourage others via feedback or community groups.
• Sometimes residents help their communities track litter and plastic leakage points. They use this data in municipal decisions.
• Support regulations and compliance: make your voice heard in consultations at the federal/provincial/municipal levels.
• Ensure businesses are aware and are in compliance.
• If you are a business or organization, align practices (e.g. packaging design, procurement) with zero-waste principles.

What’s Looking Promising & What Remains Difficult

Promising:

• The increasing legal/regulatory momentum (SUPPR, provincial regulations, plastics registry) gives teeth to the “reduce plastic waste” goals.
• More data is starting to come in (via registry, CPP, and waste flow studies) for better monitoring and accountability.
• Public awareness seems strong: many Canadians support bans on single-use plastics and want more action ‒ which helps governments feel pressure.  

Challenges / Gaps:

• Some bans or restrictions have exceptions (for people who need flexible straws, etc.), or phased implementation which delays full effect.  
• Mixed performance on recycling: certain plastic types remain under-recycled; infrastructure lagging in sortation, collection, and end-use markets. Repairing that is expensive and logistically challenging.
• At the municipal level, what’s allowed or banned is constantly shifting. And enforcement (trash monitoring, penalties) may be weak.
• Designing alternatives that are truly better (in life-cycle terms). Sometimes “biodegradable” or “compostable” plastics still have issues.

Find Out What You Can Do

• Find out whether your municipality has or is planning by-laws or policies on single-use plastics beyond what the province mandates. If not, bring it up at municipal council or via groups like local environmental NGOs.
• Support provincial regulation alignment. Province-wide consistency reduces the confusion of patchwork rules.
• Get involved in cleanups along rivers, streams, or beaches near your area. These often capture plastics before they reach larger waterways.
• Encourage local businesses (cafés, restaurants, grocery stores) to reduce plastic packaging / switch to reusable or compostable alternatives. Sometimes community demand can make this profitable.