Inputs to inform the design and development of the proposals in managing single-use plastics, performance standards, end-of-life responsibility Abstract This document contains comments and recommendations to the proposed integrated management approach to plastic products to prevent waste and pollution. These recommendations are an attempt to support development of regulations concerning banning or restricting single-use plastic items including development of possible alternatives, recommended minimum recycled content in plastics, advantages and disadvantages of minimum recycled content, compliance requirements for businesses, innovative technologies and suited business processes to aid in the development of regulations and incentives thereof associated with the ongoing development. These recommendations also attempt to provide a harmonized outlook for a Canada wide Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework. Evidence to support development of regulations to ban or restric
Canada, this week, unveiled its list of six single-use plastic items which will not find their way into the country starting 2021 either through production and import. An ambitious directive which is in line with the poll promises, precautionary principles and a science based assessment of plastic pollution concluded last year. Plastic bags are easily among the most ubiquitous and now amongst the most banned items among the world. But their most top of the mind alternative, paper bags, could be worst possible choice in the long run. Credited to be environment friendly on the face of it, they have a high environmental footprint (production, transport, their weight vis-à-vis a plastic bag) and isn’t even close to being the last straw when compared strictly in the category which they are a replacement of. The good thing is that the government still hasn’t called out banning a particular thickness category plastic bag and that means an outright ban on all categories within its segment. A