The Government of Canada is moving forward with a comprehensive plan to address plastic pollution in the long term that includes banning certain harmful single-use plastics in the short term. In fact, new regulations could come into force by late 2022. 

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 that draft regulations prohibiting certain single-use plastics have now been published for public comment. 

The draft regulations reflect input received through extensive consultations conducted by the Government of Canada since 2019, including from the tens of thousands of Canadians who expressed their support for banning certain single-use plastics. 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.

The Government of Canada will soon publish draft guidance to help businesses adapt to the requirements of the proposed Regulations.

Companies that manufacture, import, or sell plastic products and packaging will be responsible for collecting and recycling them in a coordinated, fair manner.

Source: Government of Canada December 21, 2021 news release