Canada bans single-use plastics

By Xander S.

Canada banned single-use plastics. This went into effect at the end of 2022. This was big because single-use plastics often pollute the environment and end up killing lots of marine life. 

Lots of countries including Kenya, Chile, and the European Union have already banned single-use plastics. The only single-use plastic that will make an exception in Canada is medical-use products. This will affect the litter in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Canadian businesses will have to use up all of their single-use plastics by the end of December. The Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau says that this will stop 24,000 tons of plastic pollution by 2030, according to The Washington Post.

Canada is trying to have no more single use plastics by the end of 2030. To make this goal a reality, Canadian businesses will no longer be allowed to sell products that contain single-use plastic by December 2023. Then by the end of 2025, Canadian companies won’t be able to export single-use plastics. Finally, when the ban is enacted,  regular Canadians won’t be able to use single-use plastics. The reason this is a good idea is because all the waste is accumulating and is harming the environment and animal life. 

Does the US have a similar law? It actually depends on the state. For example, New York alone uses 23 billion plastic bags a year. California has a no single-use plastic bags law, and studies show that it reduced plastic bag usage by 85%. A federal law would make more of an effect. This is needed because the US uses more single-use plastics than most other countries.

Canadians are making a huge change to the amount of plastic that’s floating around in the ocean right now.  The US, on the other hand, can’t seem to even ban plastic bags. The US needs to take action and ban single-use plastics for good.