e-4549 (Environment)

In 2020, the Government of Canada released a Science Assessment of Plastic Pollution - a thorough scientific review of the occurrence and potential impacts of plastic pollution on human health and the environment. The Assessment found that plastic pollution is everywhere - in the air, water and land - and macroplastic pollution (greater than 5mm in size) harms wildlife and damages habitats. The Assessment concluded that, in accordance with the precautionary principle, action is needed to reduce plastics that end up in the environment.

Single-use plastic checkout bags are one of the most common plastic pollution items, consistently listed as one of the top 12 items found littering shorelines and beaches in Canada and around the world. Plastic bag pollution is one of the most harmful macroplastic litter items to marine biota. It threatens wildlife through entanglement and ingestion and can disrupt habitat.

The Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations prohibit the manufacture, import and sale of single-use plastic checkout bags, cutlery, foodservice ware made from or containing problematic plastics, ring carriers, stir sticks, and straws with some exceptions. From 2023 to 2032, it is estimated that the Regulations will avoid 22,000 tonnes of plastic pollution.

On November 16, 2023, the Federal Court retroactively declared the 2021 Order adding “plastic manufactured items” to Schedule 1 to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, invalid and unlawful. On December 8, 2023, the Government filed an appeal of the Federal Court’s decision. The Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations are in force and have spurred businesses across Canada to elevate their efforts and successfully transition to sustainable alternatives, including the adoption of reusable items.

Compostable plastics require specific conditions in industrial composting facilities to degrade properly. According to the Government’s 2020 Science Assessment of Plastic Pollution, there is no significant evidence that biodegradable, compostable and biobased plastics will fully degrade in the natural environment. Thus, when biodegradable and compostable plastic bags enter the environment, they are a form of plastic pollution, just like conventional plastics. Their increased fragmentation can lead to micro and nanoplastics contaminating the environment and could impact ecosystem health. Public misconception that biodegradable and compostable plastics are environmentally friendly can also lead to increased littering and improper waste management practices of these materials. 

The Calgary Co-op bags are made from a type of plastic called polylactic acid (PLA), which is a biobased plastic resin made from starch and certified to a standard specific to compostable plastics (ASTM 6400 Standard Specification for Labeling of Plastics Designed to be Aerobically Composted in Municipal or Industrial Facilities). These standards require specific conditions for degradation (i.e., industrial composting or recycling facilities) that are not present in the natural environment. Third-party testing provided to Environment and Climate Change Canada by Calgary Co-op only demonstrates that the bags are not made of polyethylene, which is a conventional, fossil fuel-based resin. The Government’s 2020 Science Assessment of Plastic Pollution clearly indicates that plastics can be made from either petroleum or plant-based starting materials.

There are no accredited standards or certifications in North America to ensure the natural degradation of biodegradable or compostable plastics, including bags, in the environment and without causing harm to the environment and wildlife.

The approach in these Regulations is consistent with other countries as well as other jurisdictions in Canada that have implemented bans, including Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and dozens of municipalities across Canada.

Compostable plastic bags require specific conditions in industrial composting facilities to degrade properly.  During consultations on the proposed Regulations, municipal and provincial governments, as well as recyclers and non-governmental organizations, were mostly supportive of treating single-use items made from non-conventional plastics in the same manner as their conventional plastic counterparts. They stated that difficulty distinguishing compostable from non-compostable plastics leads to the contamination of both the recycling and composting streams. Loose single-use plastic checkout bags are also known to hamper recycling systems by becoming caught up in sorting and processing machinery.

A reusable item is designed to be used multiple times, for the same use, without losing its original functionality. Using single-use plastic checkout bags for a second time as a bin liner or lunch bag does not mean that they are reusable. As described in the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement accompanying the Regulations, the Government estimates that any benefit from these kinds of secondary uses is offset by the environmental harm caused by the item when it becomes plastic pollution.

To help businesses and organizations transition away from the prohibited items, the Government of Canada has developed a guidance document outlining important considerations when selecting alternative products or systems that prevent plastic pollution and help Canada transition to a circular economy. Reduction strategies and reusable alternatives to single-use plastic items are identified as preferable in terms of overall long-term costs and environmental impacts.

Many life cycle assessments conclude that a reusable substitute must be used many times before its environmental impacts equal or become less than that of a single-use plastic. That is why the Regulations mandate minimum performance standards for reusable plastic checkout bags. This is to ensure that reusable alternatives made of plastic can be reused enough times to minimize or negate many of the negative environmental effects identified at the upstream stage of the product lifecycle.

Environment and Climate Change Canada recognizes there is ongoing research and innovation on biodegradable and compostable plastics, and when designed in consideration of the full lifecycle, used in suitable applications and with access to the appropriate systems, technology and infrastructure, biodegradable and compostable plastics may offer an environmentally promising future pathway that could support the goal of zero plastic waste.  Environment and Climate Change Canada is working with partners and stakeholders, including provinces and territories, to advance science on non-conventional plastics, which will inform future actions to promote innovation, clean growth and circularity in this sector for applications outside of the items prohibited by these Regulations.