VANCOUVER | TRADITIONAL, UNCEDED TERRITORIES OF THE xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (MUSQUEAM), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (SQUAMISH) AND səlilwətaɬ (TSLEIL-WAUTUTH) FIRST NATIONS — More than 60 environmental and health organizations and businesses across Canada are calling on the federal government to expand the single-use plastics ban by adding six new categories:
- All takeout containers, cups and lids
- Bags, film and wrap
- Bottles and caps
- Filtered cigarettes
- Sachets, pouches and wrappers
- Produce stickers
These six new categories encompass a wide range of plastic products and packaging that dominate coastal beach cleanups, pose risks to wildlife and human health and are problematic for waste management. On the heels of the first phase of the ban coming into effect last month, environmental and health organizations are sounding the alarm that current federal actions to reduce waste and pollution fail to meet the scope and urgency of the growing crisis.
The coalition is also calling for the elimination of various known problematic substances, including PVC, polystyrene (“Styrofoam”), PFAS, bisphenols and phthalates used in a wide range of plastic products and packaging. This call to action, championed by leading environmental groups, was sent in an open letter to ministers Steven Guilbeault and Jean-Yves Duclos today.
