e-2102 (Environmental pollution)

Petition to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

• 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced since the 1950s;
• Plastic is not biodegradable and could exist for hundreds or thousands of years;
• Nearly two million single-use plastic bags are circulated worldwide every minute, and over one billion plastic bags are distributed annually in Canada;
• Over 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the oceans annually, threatening 700 marine animal species;
• Around 10,000 tons of plastic enter the Great Lakes annually, and microplastics can remain in drinking water even after water treatment;
• Research finds that there are 1.1 million microbeads per square kilometre in Lake Ontario;
• Extrapolating from current trends, plastic pollution will outweigh fish by 2050;
• Some countries, including Kenya, Malibu, Morocco, Rwanda, South Korea, the UK, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe, have mobilized to reduce the manufacture and use of plastics;
• There are eco-friendly and cost-effective alternatives for non-biodegradable and single-use plastics
• We must take action to combat climate change and achieve environmental sustainability; and
• The involvement and initiative of Canada in reducing and eliminating plastic pollution would most definitely motivate other countries to contribute to positive change and would be the start of much-needed progress.