Over the last decade or so, we have seen consumer trends and priorities shift heavily towards sustainability. Environmental groups have urged government officials across the globe to prioritize sustainable practices on every level as climate change continues to be one of the biggest threats current and future generations. Although this measure has moved slowly at the government level due to a variety of reasons, progress has continued to be made over time. One concrete step towards a more sustainable future has come from Canada, as they publicly schedule a ban on popular single-use plastics to take place over the next few years. This is a huge undertaking and will hopefully result in reduced waste across the country!
On June 20th, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada published final regulations to prohibit single-use plastics use in the country. It covers a range of products like plastic bags, cutlery, and other food service items. Canada’s single-use plastic prohibitions will go into effect in three stages. The first stage focuses on the importation of single-use plastic products, with a ban on the manufacture and import of these products beginning in December of 2022. The second stage bans businesses from selling these goods starting in December 2023. This stage is delayed until that time to give businesses time to transition to new products and clear existing inventories. The third stage is banning the export of single-use plastic bags, cutlery, and other food service items by the end of 2025.
These bans make an exception for single-use plastic straws for people who require them for medical or accessibility reasons. This means they’ll still be available for use at home or in healthcare settings like hospitals and long-term care facilities.
Regarding promotional products, this new regulation only enforces the importance of finding a product that is in line with consumer trends. The demand for sustainably made products is not going away. It is the new normal. It’s crucial to find a company that offers quality promotional products that are produced responsibly and ethically. Switching to reusable bags is a win-win for both our planet and our own health. A recent estimate found that Canada uses up to 15 billion plastic checkout bags each day. Reaching for a reusable bag instead is a great way to decrease this number. It’s expected that this ban will help eliminate more than 1.3 million tons of waste and more than 22,000 tons of plastic pollution. Yay!
Shop all our reusable custom bags here.
