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e-3730 (Environment)

E-petition
Initiated by Brendon Samuels from London, Ontario

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:
  • The government has committed to banning harmful single-use plastics by 2030;
  • Party balloons represent a harmful and pervasive form of single-use plastic;
  • Balloons and ribbons are a major source of plastic pollution and marine debris, capable of travelling vast distances and persisting in the environment for many years;
  • Balloons and ribbons pose a serious hazard to wildlife via entanglement and ingestion of non-degradable plastics;
  • Releasing balloons and sky lanterns poses a risk of causing power outages and fires;
  • Helium is a finite, non-renewable resource that is essential for medical, engineering, industrial and other scientific applications;
  • A letter co-signed by plastic pollution experts, wildlife conservationists and environmental scientists calls for more government regulation on selling and releasing plastic balloons and sky lanterns;
  • More public education is needed to raise awareness of the harms associated with releasing balloons and sky lanterns; and
  • Alternatives to plastic balloons and lanterns for celebrations are widely available.
We, the undersigned, residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Ban the release of latex, mylar, nylon, rubber, helium and other party balloons and sky lanterns into the environment;
2. Consider adding balloons (including but not limited to latex, mylar, nylon and other materials) to the list of harmful single use plastics to be banned;
3. Require manufacturers of balloons and sky lanterns to include warning labels on commercial packaging discouraging the release of balloons or sky lanterns outdoors; and
4. Support public education about environmental harms associated with balloons, applicable laws prohibiting balloon releases and available alternatives to balloon releases.

Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable STEVEN GUILBEAULT

The Government of Canada appreciates your concern about the effects of pollution from balloons and ribbons on wildlife. The Government of Canada agrees that plastic pollution is a global challenge that requires immediate action. Plastic waste and pollution burdens our economy and threatens the health of our environment including wildlife, rivers, lakes and oceans.

The Government of Canada has a comprehensive plan to address plastic pollution and waste and create the conditions for a circular plastic economy where plastics are kept in the economy and out of the environment. As one part of our plan, we published the final Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations[1] in the Canada Gazette, Part II on June 22, 2022. These Regulations prohibit the manufacture, import and sale of six categories of single-use plastics items (checkout bags; cutlery; foodservice ware containing expanded or extruded polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, oxo-degradable plastic or black plastic made with carbon black; ring carriers; stir sticks; and straws) with a temporary exemption for export. The first set of prohibitions will come into force on December 20th of this year.  These items were chosen by applying the Government of Canada’s Management Framework for Single-Use Plastics[2] which includes criteria to determine which single use plastics should be banned. The criteria includes if an item is prevalent in the environment, poses a threat of harm (e.g., to wildlife and their habitat), and is difficult to recycle. Going forward, the Government will continue to apply the framework and consider the scientific evidence in making any future decisions on whether or not to prohibit or otherwise manage other single-use plastics, including balloons. This will include reviewing performance data for existing measures and working with partners and stakeholders to identify areas where further action is needed.

Data utilized in the development of the Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations did not provide evidence that these items were prevalent in the environment. According to Ocean Wise’s[3] shoreline clean up data for Canada, balloons were not one of the top 12 commonly found littered items in 2021 and data from the Ocean Conservancy[4] found that 1,791 littered balloons were found in Canada in 2021, compared to 4,194 balloons in 2019. Nevertheless, the Government of Canada recognizes that balloons and their attached ribbons, when littered, can be consumed by wildlife and entangle them. The government recognizes that, as a consumer product, party balloons and sky lanterns are unique in that they are often purchased in the context of ceremonial, celebratory or other events, sometimes with the explicit intent of releasing them into the environment.  As part of our commitment to reduce plastic waste in operations, the Government is eliminating the unnecessary use of single-use plastics, including the use and release of balloons at federal meetings and events.  Additional details are provided in the Guidance for the Reduction of Plastic Waste in Meetings and Events - Canada.ca[5].

In Canada, federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal governments share the responsibility for the sound management of waste. Collectively, these efforts help prevent plastic pollution. The Government of Canada works with provinces and territories on issues of plastic waste and pollution through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). As committed to in the Phase 1 Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste[6], the CCME is developing a Roadmap to Strengthen the Management of Single-Use and Disposable Plastics. In the meantime, some jurisdictions in Canada have already banned the outdoor release of balloons inflated with gas that is lighter than air (e.g., helium). Other jurisdictions offer guidelines for helium balloon release (e.g., see the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's guidance document[7] on helium balloon release).

Canada has supported the development of a variety of public education tools that raise awareness about plastic litter and suggest practical alternatives to common plastic products, including balloons. For example, the Climate Kids Plastics Game[8], the Clean Seas Back to School Campaign[9] and the 10,000 Changes Program[10] offer fun, interactive ways to learn about responsible choices related to party balloons and other single-use plastics. The CCME is also developing guidance on the use of labels and terms to help consumers better understand the plastic products on the market and their proper use and treatment at their end-of-life. As these examples demonstrate, building partnerships to promote and facilitate sustainable practices will be a central component in achieving the Government’s comprehensive zero plastic waste agenda.

The Government of Canada, along with provincial and territorial governments, also recognises the fire hazard associated with sky lanterns. Sky lanterns are included in Health Canada's guide on fire safety[11] and some jurisdictions in Canada have banned them; for example, they are banned under Nova Scotia's fire code since August 2012.  

 

[1] https://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2022/2022-06-22/html/sor-dors138-eng.html

[2] https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/canadian-environmental-protection-act-registry/plastics-proposed-integrated-management-approach.html

[3] https://shorelinecleanup.org/impact-visualized-data

[4] https://www.coastalcleanupdata.org/reports

[5] https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/innovation/greening-government/guidance-reduction-plastic-waste-meetings-events.html

[6] https://ccme.ca/en/res/1589_ccmecanada-wideactionplanonzeroplasticwaste_en-secured.pdf

[7] https://www.gov.nl.ca/ecc/files/env-protection-waste-guidancedocs-helium-balloon-release.pdf

[8] https://climatekids.ca/

[9] https://www.cleanseas.org/back-school

[10] https://10000changes.ca/en/education/

[11] https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/home-safety/fire-safety.html

Open for signature
January 12, 2022, at 8:26 a.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
May 12, 2022, at 8:26 a.m. (EDT)
Presented to the House of Commons
Laurel Collins (Victoria)
June 20, 2022 (Petition No. 441-00624)
Government response tabled
September 20, 2022
Photo - Laurel Collins
Victoria
New Democratic Party Caucus
British Columbia