Will single-use plastics return with federal ban overturned? Unlikely, it seems – National | 24CA News
The Federal Court determination that the spine of Ottawa’s single-use plastic ban is “unconstitutional and unreasonable” is producing disappointment for some within the environmental motion.
And additionally it is elevating questions on whether or not the plastic luggage, straws and takeout containers listed underneath the ban might make a comeback.
“I mean, we were very disappointed. And this is a real setback to the federal government’s plans to address the plastic pollution crisis,” stated Ashley Wallis, affiliate director with Environmental Defence in Toronto.
Both Environmental Defence and Greenpeace Canada are calling on the federal authorities to enchantment the ruling, one thing Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault stated he’s “strongly considering.”
But the place do issues go from right here?
The courtroom problem was introduced ahead by a gaggle referred to as the Responsible Plastic Use Coalition (RPUC), made up of plastic producers together with Dow Chemical and Imperial Oil.
They efficiently argued that the May 2021 cupboard order classing “plastic manufactured items” as poisonous substances underneath the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) was too broad.
In a press release, the RPUC stated it’s glad that the courtroom upheld the provisions of the CEPA and believes trade and the federal government can work collaboratively to scale back plastic waste.
This classification allowed Ottawa to ban all kinds of single-use plastics as a result of underneath the CEPA, the federal authorities can ban poisonous substances.
With this classification retroactively overturned, does it imply single-use plastics like luggage and straws will come roaring again?
Not probably, it appears.
Two of Canada’s main grocers, Loblaws and Metro, each inform Global News they won’t be bringing again plastic buying luggage.
“No. Loblaw’s elimination of single use front end plastic bags was a part of our broader commitment to make 100 percent of all our in store and control brand plastic packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025,” Loblaws stated in an emailed response when requested if it deliberate on bringing plastic luggage again.
“No we’re not considering bringing back plastic bags,” Metro communications supervisor Geneviève Grégoire stated when requested the identical query.
Walmart Canada says its work to eradicate plastic luggage from its shops started in 2019 and it estimates this removes 680 million from circulation yearly.
“We made this change as a significant milestone on our journey to becoming a regenerative company, well in advance of the government’s announced regulations, because it was the right thing to do,” stated Stephanie Fusco with Walmart Canada company affairs.
Global News has reached out to different main grocers and can replace with their responses.
Several provinces and territories, together with British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and the Yukon, additionally all have their very own laws enacting single-use plastic bans to various levels.
A handful of municipalities, like Montreal, Edmonton and Moncton, N.B., even have native bylaws banning both plastic buying luggage or single-use plastics.
This patchwork of laws implies that nationwide restaurant chains aren’t going to swap out recyclable or compostable takeout supplies any time quickly, in accordance with Restaurant Canada’s authorities relations supervisor Richard Alexander.
“So the industry has been moving in this direction for quite some time, even before the ban was introduced,” he stated.
“I would suspect that this will have this court case will have very little impact on that direction. It’s going in that direction. I can’t see the industry going backwards.”
With governments and companies trying towards making environmentally acutely aware selections, York University waste administration researcher Calvin Lakhan doesn’t anticipate single-use plastics coming again to most areas the place they’ve been already phased out.
“We spent so much time saying that plastics are bad for the environment and empowering users by saying if you use reusable, that this is going to be what’s the most sustainable option,” Lakhan stated.
“And so I think that any sort of movement away from that sends a really bad message to consumers that I think would cause a lot of confusion and discontent.”
While Lakhan is skeptical of a plastic bag comeback, he agrees in precept with the decide’s ruling.
“There’s no such thing as a bad material or good material. It depends on the context in which you use it,” he stated.
“So, plastics absolutely has a role to play in a sustainable economy, but it also damages the environment.… It’s a balance of finding what are the opportunities where we can move away from plastics into more sustainable alternatives.”
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
