Plastic waste

New Canadian data suggest that over a nine-year period between 2012 and 2020, the equivalent of more 15 billion plastic bottles and as many as 14 billion plastic grocery bags became litter in Canada’s environment. A single-use plastic water bottle sits amongst a pile of seaweed on the shore of Frobisher Bay in Iqaluit on Friday, Aug. 2, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Billions of bottles: Statistics paint grim picture of Canada’s plastic problem

New Statistics Canada data gathered to support federal ‘zero-plastic waste agenda’

 

Plastic trash is compacted into bales for further processing at the waste processing dump on the outskirts of Minsk, Belarus on March 12, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Sergei Grits

Cap on plastic production remains contentious as feds set to host treaty talks

176 countries working to eliminate plastic waste by 2040

 

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says the federal government will appeal a Federal Court ruling which struck down a cabinet order which underlies Ottawa’s ban of some single-use plastics. Guilbeault arrives for a news conference, in Ottawa, on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Canada to appeal court ruling that struck down plastic ban

Ruling found Ottawa had overstepped by labelling all “plastic manufactured items” as toxic

 

Trash, including large quantities of plastic waste, line a small pond behind a religious shelter in Shwepyithar, Myanmar, in an undated photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Lighthouse Reports

Banning plastic waste exports won’t solve the world’s plastic trash woes: Guilbeault

Advocates want Canada agree to ban outright the export of hazardous trash to developing countries

Trash, including large quantities of plastic waste, line a small pond behind a religious shelter in Shwepyithar, Myanmar, in an undated photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Lighthouse Reports
Plastic food packaging waste sits on top of a pile of garbage that was dumped in the streets and empty greenspaces in Shwepyithar, Myanmar, in an undated photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Lighthouse Reports, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Canada promised no more unwanted plastic waste, ask Myanmar how we’re doing

Canadian garbage continuing to pile up overseas, the question is how and why

Plastic food packaging waste sits on top of a pile of garbage that was dumped in the streets and empty greenspaces in Shwepyithar, Myanmar, in an undated photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Lighthouse Reports, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
UBCO engineers are testing research that uses discarded plastic bottles to help stabilize clay banks in landfills (UBCO).

B.C. engineers study how repurposed plastic bottles could protect landfills

The research is published in the journal Waste Management and funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grants Program

UBCO engineers are testing research that uses discarded plastic bottles to help stabilize clay banks in landfills (UBCO).
B.C. Environment and Climate Change Strategy Minister George Heyman says new regulation concerning shopping bags will benefit the environment and the bottom line. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

New single-use plastics bans coming in time for B.C. holiday shopping season

New regulations around shopping bags, other single-use plastic items comes into effect Dec. 20

B.C. Environment and Climate Change Strategy Minister George Heyman says new regulation concerning shopping bags will benefit the environment and the bottom line. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
Besides landfills, tires are commonly dumped on beaches or in forest areas in British Columbia. The new partnership between Ocean Legacy and the B.C. Tire Stewardship aims to reduce tire pollution, and bolster recycling of discarded tires in the province. (Tire Stewardship B.C./Contributed to Black Press Media)

Tire pollution reduction rubber meeting the road in new B.C. partnership

Tire Stewardship B.C. helps fund Ocean Legacy Foundation cleanup work

Besides landfills, tires are commonly dumped on beaches or in forest areas in British Columbia. The new partnership between Ocean Legacy and the B.C. Tire Stewardship aims to reduce tire pollution, and bolster recycling of discarded tires in the province. (Tire Stewardship B.C./Contributed to Black Press Media)
FILE - A child sits inside a canoe with empty plastic bottles he collected to sell for recycling in the floating slum of Makoko in Lagos, Nigeria, Nov. 8, 2022. Negotiators from around the world gather at UNESCO in Paris on Monday, May 29, 2023, for a second round of talks aiming toward a global treaty on fighting plastic pollution in 2024. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File)

Delegates working to end global plastics pollution agree to craft a draft treaty

Environmental advocates cautiously welcomed the outcome of five days of U.N. talks in Paris on plastic pollution

FILE - A child sits inside a canoe with empty plastic bottles he collected to sell for recycling in the floating slum of Makoko in Lagos, Nigeria, Nov. 8, 2022. Negotiators from around the world gather at UNESCO in Paris on Monday, May 29, 2023, for a second round of talks aiming toward a global treaty on fighting plastic pollution in 2024. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba, File)
Discarded cups in a garbage container seen Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019, in Berkeley, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Vancouver city council votes to repeal 25-cent single-use cup fee, effective May 1

Businesses are still encouraged to accept customer’s reusable drinking cups

Discarded cups in a garbage container seen Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019, in Berkeley, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
The B.C. government brought in new regulations at the start of 2023 that expanded the list of items that can be recycled through blue bin and depot programs. Some are calling for more to be done in quelling the amount of single-use items making it to market. (Jake Romphf/News Staff)

Groups want plastic waste reduced at the source as B.C. expands recycling list

Environment minister says more single-use bans being looked at as more plastic regulations coming

The B.C. government brought in new regulations at the start of 2023 that expanded the list of items that can be recycled through blue bin and depot programs. Some are calling for more to be done in quelling the amount of single-use items making it to market. (Jake Romphf/News Staff)
Food is packaged into a polystyrene foam box in Honolulu in a Thursday, March 14, 2019 file photo. Restaurants have been going through months of trial and error in preparation for the phase-in of a federal plastics ban that will eventually aim to remove many single-use plastics, such as takeout containers, from the market altogether. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Audrey McAvoy

Restaurants debut new takeout ware amid phase-in of single-use plastics ban

Recyclable fibre lids, bamboo cutlery and paper straws among alternatives being tested out

Food is packaged into a polystyrene foam box in Honolulu in a Thursday, March 14, 2019 file photo. Restaurants have been going through months of trial and error in preparation for the phase-in of a federal plastics ban that will eventually aim to remove many single-use plastics, such as takeout containers, from the market altogether. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Audrey McAvoy
Paper straws are seen at a market in Montreal on Thursday, June 13, 2019. Canada’s ban on the manufacture and import for sale of some plastic items, including grocery bags and straws, has taken effect.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Manufacturing, importing straws and other single-use plastics now banned

Plastic checkout bags, cutlery, stir sticks, straws and takeout containers can’t be made in Canada

Paper straws are seen at a market in Montreal on Thursday, June 13, 2019. Canada’s ban on the manufacture and import for sale of some plastic items, including grocery bags and straws, has taken effect.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
FILE - A swan stands between dumped plastic bottles and waste at the Danube river in Belgrade, Serbia, April 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)

Watchdog group casts doubt on Amazon’s claims of reducing plastic

Oceana estimates Amazon’s plastic waste jumped from 599 million pounds in 2020 to 709 million

FILE - A swan stands between dumped plastic bottles and waste at the Danube river in Belgrade, Serbia, April 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)
Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault, announces the ban of single-use plastics, at a beach, on Monday, June 20, 2022 in Quebec City. Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, behind, looks on. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

New stats suggest Canadians already kicking some plastic habits as national ban looms

By Dec. 20, it will no longer be legal to manufacture or import most plastic shopping bags or straws

Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault, announces the ban of single-use plastics, at a beach, on Monday, June 20, 2022 in Quebec City. Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, behind, looks on. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
Plastic straws are pictured in Vancouver on Monday, June 4, 2018. More than two dozen plastic makers are asking the Federal Court to put an end to Ottawa’s plan to ban several single-use plastic items including straws, cutlery and takeout containers. THE CANADIAN PRESS Jonathan Hayward

Plastics producers ask court to quash planned federal ban on single-use straws, cups

Feds using Environmental Protection Act to ban the sale, import and production of six plastic items

Plastic straws are pictured in Vancouver on Monday, June 4, 2018. More than two dozen plastic makers are asking the Federal Court to put an end to Ottawa’s plan to ban several single-use plastic items including straws, cutlery and takeout containers. THE CANADIAN PRESS Jonathan Hayward
Hailey Davies and Wendy Fleming seining for fish collections in Coles Bay near the Pauqachin First Nation. (Courtesy of Kieran Cox)

Study dives into microplastic movement in Vancouver Island marine food webs

Wide variety of species ingest microplastics, but biomagnification not found

Hailey Davies and Wendy Fleming seining for fish collections in Coles Bay near the Pauqachin First Nation. (Courtesy of Kieran Cox)
As plastic continues to pollute the ocean, Oceana Canada is calling on the government action (credit Oceana Canada/Elemental).

Plastic predicament: Federal group urges action on packaging legislation in Canada

Oceana Canada is calling on the government to reduce the amount of harmful single-use plastics

As plastic continues to pollute the ocean, Oceana Canada is calling on the government action (credit Oceana Canada/Elemental).
Burnaby vet technician Jocelyn Marsh shows off part of her pill bottle return program. (Jane Skrypnek/Black Press Media)

B.C. veterinarian has plan to eliminate millions of pieces of plastic from Canadian clinics

Very simple changes can have a large impact if adopted broadly, Jocelyn Marsh says

Burnaby vet technician Jocelyn Marsh shows off part of her pill bottle return program. (Jane Skrypnek/Black Press Media)
The move to ban single-use plastics will prevent 33 billion units of forks, bags, six-pack rings and other plastics from landfills. (Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Single-use plastic ban a ‘monumental’ step in protecting Canada’s oceans: advocate

Canada is planning phased-in ban on the manufacture, import, sale and export of plastics

The move to ban single-use plastics will prevent 33 billion units of forks, bags, six-pack rings and other plastics from landfills. (Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS)