Plan for the Ban: An Update on Single-Use Plastics Bans in Canada

  • September 22, 2020
  • Talia Gordner and Cody Foggin

Overview

The impending ban of single-use plastics in Canada means that manufacturers and retailers will have to change the way they package, distribute and sell their products. With legislation being introduced at the federal, provincial and municipal levels, it is imperative that businesses currently producing, selling or using single-use plastics take note of these new laws and begin preparing for the changes to come.

While single-use plastic bags, cutlery, straws and packaging are the most cited single-use plastic targets of these proposed regulations, legislation targeting single-use plastics have cast a wide net to ensure regulators have authority to regulate other types of single-use products.

The Canadian government currently expects to have its single-use plastics ban regulations in place as early as 2021.[i] At the provincial level, five provinces have taken steps to implement their own bans on the use and distribution of single-use plastics and municipalities across the country have made similar changes at the local level.

This bulletin provides a summary of the current state of single-use plastics legislation across Canada and the changes and trends businesses can expect to see over the next couple years.