"We're at a point when we take our kids to the beach and we have to search out a patch of sand that isn't littered with straws, Styrofoam or bottles."
ADVERTISEMENTOTTAWA, Ontario — Canada plans to ban some single-use plastics like straws, bags and cutlery by early 2021 to reduce non-recyclable waste and protect the world's oceans, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday.
Trudeau announced the move from the banks of a lake in Gault Nature Reserve in Quebec less than five months before a national election in which climate change and pollution are among the top campaign issues.
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"To be honest, as a dad, it's tough trying to explain this to my kids. How do you explain dead whales washing up on beaches around the world, their stomachs jam-packed with plastic bags?" Trudeau said.
"As parents we're at a point when we take our kids to the beach and we have to search out a patch of sand that isn't littered with straws, Styrofoam or bottles. That's a problem, one that we have to do something about."
Canada's move follows one by the European Parliament, which voted earlier this year to ban several single-use plastic products, and recent disputes with the Philippines and Malaysia over Canadian waste shipped to them.
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Less than 10 percent of plastic used in Canada gets recycled, and Canadians will throw away an estimated $8.3 billion worth of plastic materials each year by 2030 without a change in course, the government said in a statement.
Canada has delayed implementation until 2021 to allow time for a "science-based" decision on exactly which plastics "are harmful to the environment and human health," according to a government statement.
It will also give businesses time to adjust.
Canada may require manufacturers to use a set amount of recycled content, the government said. Also, federal and provincial authorities will work together so that companies, rather than just municipalities, take more responsibility for the recycling process.
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The Canadian Federation of Independent Business called for an assessment of the economic impacts of the ban.
"If done hastily, this policy could add a whole lot of new red tape to their plates," CFIB President Dan Kelly said in a statement.