In November 2018, Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments committed to a shared goal: zero plastic waste by 2030. With a target that ambitious, you would expect a comprehensive, public plan to achieve it. Years later, Canadians are still waiting for one.
Canada has made real progress — including the federal ban on six common single-use plastic items that began phasing in from 2022. But a handful of item bans is not a plan, and time is one of our most precious resources. We need to accelerate.
The scale of the problem
- Canadians have been estimated to use about 57 million plastic straws every day.
- And up to 15 billion plastic bags every year.
- Only a small fraction of the plastic we throw away is ever recycled. The rest ends up in landfills, incinerators and the environment.
The effects of plastic pollution are often visible to the naked eye — but sometimes they are not. As plastics break down, microplastics and harmful additives make their way into soil, air and water.
What we're asking for
We call on the Prime Minister and Canada's environment ministers to publish, before the end of 2027, a public, measurable roadmap to zero plastic waste by 2030, including:
- Clear annual targets for reducing plastic waste, with public progress reports.
- Extended producer responsibility in every province and territory, so the companies that make plastic packaging pay to collect and recycle it.
- Support for reuse and refill systems for businesses and communities.
- Real recycling standards, so that what Canadians put in the blue bin is actually recycled.
Enough with the lip service. Canada made a promise — let's keep it. Add your name.