Also Read :Judi Dench says Netflix's 'The Crown' uses 'crude sensationalism'
Without a change in direction to prevent plastic packaging from becoming waste, the report estimates there will still be between one and two million tonnes thrown away across Canada in 2030.
“That’s far from zero and a real threat to the environment and our health,” added Wirsig. “We need to act quickly to reduce and reuse packaging and products if Canada hopes to achieve its goal of zero plastic waste.”
Environmental Defence is calling on the federal government to:
Expand the single-use plastic bans to include additional unnecessary and polluting items, such as takeout beverage cups and lids.
Set refill/reuse requirements for products and packaging and ensure local systems are in place to make local reuse/refill widely-available and affordable.
Ensure accurate data is available on plastics produced, imported, exported, sold and discarded in Canada, across their full life cycles, so that Canadians can understand the extent of the plastic pollution problem and track the performance of policies aimed at addressing it.
ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
-30 –
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
New federal action needed to reach Zero Plastic Waste goal
Toronto | Traditional Credit First Nation territories of the Huron-Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and Mississaugas – A report on plastic packaging released today by Environmental Defense shows that Canada will not meet the goal of zero plastic waste by 2030, even if bans on six single-use plastics go into effect this year.
The report, Mistakes in recycling, includes a testimony that also shows Canada cannot rely on the province’s waste policies to address the plastic pollution crisis. Only two provinces have passed the plastic policy – British Columbia (C) and Prince Edward Island (D+). The other eight provinces and all territories received an unsatisfactory grade (F).
“We need to stop recycling the same failed ideas to tackle the plastic pollution crisis,” said Karen Wirsig, Plastics Program Manager at Environmental Defence. “All levels of government want to believe that recycling is the solution. But most don’t even enforce targets for plastic recycling, and apart from beverage packaging, the highest target on the books for plastic packaging is just 60 percent by 2030. This means that even if all provinces agree on the highest targets – which is actually not planned – we will still be buried in plastic waste at the end of the decade.”
Without a change in direction to prevent plastic packaging from becoming waste, between one and two million tonnes will still be wasted across Canada in 2030, according to the report.
“This is far from zero and a real threat to the environment and health,” adds Wirsig. “We must act quickly to reduce and reuse packaging and products if Canada is to meet its goal of zero plastic waste.”
Environmental Defense calls on the federal government:
Extend single-use plastic bans to include additional unnecessary and polluting items such as cups and lids for take-away drinks.
Establish refill/reuse requirements for products and packaging and ensure local systems are in place to make local reuse/refill widely available and affordable.
Ensure that accurate life cycle data is available on the plastics produced, imported, exported, sold and disposed of in Canada so that Canadians can understand the magnitude of the plastic pollution problem and track the performance of measures aimed at to tackle it.
ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defense is a leading Canadian advocacy group working with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
-30 –
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
