Liberals release long-awaited regulations to ban single-use plastics, but there’s a loophole

The Liberal government has proposed new regulations to ban single-use plastics in Canada, including grocery bags, straws and takeout containers.

The Liberal government has released draft regulations to ban six kinds of “harmful” single-use plastic in Canada: straws and stir sticks, six-pack rings, grocery bags, cutlery and difficult to recycle takeout containers.

But the draft rules also include an exemption that would allow Canadian manufacturers to continue making these items, so long as they’re intended for export.

The Liberals say the proposed rules “seek to minimize costs to government and industry,” while at the same time preventing plastic pollution and protecting the environment.

“Plastic pollution is a global crisis but the draft regulations only address import and sale in Canada,” said Karen Wirsig, plastics program manager at Environmental Defence.

“That means Canadian companies can continue to make these harmful products for export. The government must ban their manufacture for export or Canadian-made single-use plastic products will continue to pollute other countries.”

Environment Minister Stephen Guilbeault and Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced the draft regulations on Tuesday in a joint statement.

The statement said the new rules could come into effect sometime at the end of 2022. That’s about a year later than initially planned. There may also be a transition period to allow restaurants and other businesses to get used to the new rules, which could push the date back even further.

“Reducing plastic pollution creates a healthier living environment for all, because we know that plastics break down into tiny pieces that can get into water streams and be eaten by animals,” Duclos said in a written statement.