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The federal government wants to update how plastics are regulated in Canada, specifically by using the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) to regulate plastic and by banning several single-use plastic items. This elevates manufactured plastic to the status of Schedule 1 toxin under CEPA, alongside such deadly substances as asbestos, mercury and lead. In addition, the government will kick-start a national ban on plastic grocery bags, six-pack rings, stir sticks, straws, takeout containers made from polystyrene, and plastic cutlery.
Nobody likes plastic waste, but a policy change this drastic is a huge mistake. To begin with, it’s not science-based and relies on a very low bar for toxicity. The threshold to be deemed toxic is simply too low and doesn’t account for the differences between risks and hazards. Calling plastics toxic also sends the wrong message to consumers, namely, that every plastic product in their life is on par with harmful substances like lead.