Plastic waste has become a global crisis, and Canada is no exception. Canadians throw away over 3 million tonnes of plastic every year, and a big portion of that is packaging. Even if we are diligent about putting our plastics in the blue bin, the alarming reality is that only about 9% of this plastic is actually recycled.
So if our plastic is not being recycled, where does it end up? One unfortunate place is in our lakes and rivers. Every year, close to 10 thousand tonnes of plastic waste enter the Great Lakes from Canada and the US. Plastic waste can have a devastating impact on marine environments, including transferring contaminants, damaging habitats and endangering wildlife.
Some of our plastic waste also ends up much farther away. In 2022 Canada exported 183 million kilograms of plastic waste. Unfortunately, much of this exported plastic ends up in developing countries, despite efforts by governments and other ogranisations to prevent it.
Here’s the Good News: Our federal, provincial and territorial governments have adopted a Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste, and Canada set an aspirational Canada-wide goal to reduce the amount of plastic waste discarded per Canadian by 30% by 2030 (from a 2014 benchmark) and 50% by 2040.
Reducing our plastic usage might seem challenging, but even small changes can make a big difference! Start by selecting one plastic packaged item in your home, and pledge to find a reusable, refillable, or more easily recyclable alternative. For example, try eliminating plastic hand soap bottles with Goodwash Soap’s Foaming Hand Soap refills. You can also support brands that are working towards reducing plastics and other forms of waste. And of course, always remember to carry your reusable shopping bags and travel water bottle or coffee mug!