For more than half a century, the plastics industry has deflected blame on to consumers or “litter bugs” for plastic pollution, rather than investing in reuse systems or alternative plastic-free choices.
But it’s not your fault.
Now is the time to demand that our government stand up to Big Plastic and cut this harmful pollutant off at the source. We need a strong ban on harmful single-use plastics in Canada.
There’s no denying it: Plastic pollution is killing whales, dolphins, sea turtles and seabirds.
The Canadian government is taking steps to turn the tide on plastic pollution but is only planning to ban six single-use plastic items: plastic bags, stir sticks, six-pack rings, straws, cutlery and takeout containers made from plastics that are hard to recycle. These six items are only a “fraction of one per cent” of the plastic products we use — a drop in the bucket for an ocean drowning in plastic pollution. As-is, the ban won’t make a dent in the 3.3 million tonnes of plastic that is thrown away in Canada every year.
