Between 12 April and 5 May 2021, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development (the Committee) studied the Government of Canada’s intention to ban certain single-use plastic items by regulating plastic manufactured items under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA). The Committee examined, among other things, the impacts that a ban on certain single-use plastic items might have on Canadian small businesses, the plastics industry, the environment, and human health.

The Committee heard that the manufacturing of plastic resins and plastic products in Canada was worth an estimated $35 billion in 2017, representing approximately 5% of sales in the Canadian manufacturing sector, and employing 93,000 people in just under 2000 firms. It also heard that the annual value of single-use plastic sales in Canada is $5.5–$7.5 billion.

Some witnesses emphasized the value of plastics to society, noting, for example, that plastics can extend food shelf life as packaging, they are raw materials in essential medical devices, and their light weight in vehicles can translate to lower greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. The Committee also heard, however, that most plastic in Canada is not recycled but becomes waste. On its current trajectory, annual global plastics production will double by 2050—to a projected one billion tonnes of plastics per year.

The Committee heard from the federal government about its scientific assessment of the impact of plastic pollution on the environment and human health, and the steps it planned to take to reach “zero plastic waste” by 2030. It heard that the government planned to establish regulations related to plastic manufactured items under CEPA. The Committee heard that the government’s approach was intended to affect the way plastics are designed, manufactured, used, disposed of, and recovered, with the goal of reducing pollution and creating the conditions needed to achieve a “circular plastics economy.”

In discussing the impacts on jobs and industry, some witnesses felt that banning single-use plastic items would harm the plastics industry and make it harder to transition to a circular economy, while others suggested that a ban could lead to economic benefits through new reuse programs and the manufacture of alternative products.

The Committee heard how the circular economy, which emphasizes repair and reuse before recycling, could be applied to plastics in Canada. Some witnesses spoke about ways the government could help reduce the use of new plastics, particularly those that they said were difficult to recycle and unlikely to contribute to a circular economy, while others emphasized the need for better recycling of plastics, rather than a reduction in their production or use. New technologies and materials were also discussed.

Among its 10 recommendations, the Committee suggested that the Government of Canada expand and strengthen recycling infrastructure and innovation, and that it take steps to support the harmonization of recycling standards and the development of extended producer responsibility programs across Canada. The Committee also recommended that the Government of Canada further examine options that could support greater reuse of plastic items across Canada. Taken together, these steps can help make the one-time use of plastic products a thing of the past.