Plastic-Free July is an opportunity to save our oceans from plastic pollution and make reusable solutions the norm - Oceana Canada
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July 5, 2022

Plastic-Free July is an opportunity to save our oceans from plastic pollution and make reusable solutions the norm

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Topics: Plastics

 

It’s Plastic-Free July and we have some work to do help Canada achieve its vision of zero-plastic waste!
Canada’s new, single-use plastic ban announced at the end of June 2022 was a huge victory for our oceans – however the fight to end plastic pollution in the oceans has only just begun. The Canadian government has a vision of zero-plastic waste by 2030 and we believe it is possible! But for a country that produces nearly 3.3 million tonnes of plastic waste every single year and recycles only eight per cent of that, how do we get to zero plastic waste?

The answer – refillable and reusable packaging solutions.

Refillable and reusable systems – picture the milk-man model from decades past, where reusable milk bottles are collected and refilled by the milk “manufacturers” and then sold back to customers – are the only true, long-term solution to achieve zero plastic waste. In fact, increasing refillable and reusable options by 50 per cent would result in a reduction of plastic pollution in the ocean by up to 86 per cent. That means millions of pieces of plastic no longer filling our oceans and endangering the lives of marine life like sea turtles, whales and seabirds.

With the UN declaring plastic pollution the second most ominous threat to the global environment after climate change, we have no choice but to shift toward better zero plastic waste solutions that offer more choice – many of which are already in use in other parts of the world.

This is something that Canadians want. When given the choice at no extra cost, 86 per cent of Canadians would prefer to use a refillable or reusable drink bottle over a single-use option. However, individuals alone cannot be responsible; we need government commitments and action to prioritize refillables and reusables. We need plastic producers to do away with single-use plastic products and start offering Canadians refillable and reusable options on products en masse. No more plastic in landfills, no more plastic in the oceans.

This Plastic-Free July, join us and tell the Canadian government you want a future with #ZeroPlasticWaste >>>