90 percent of Canada’s Plastics do not get Recycled – We Need a Change!
Canada continues to produce low recycling rates in the face of mounting plastic consumption and production. Although the federal government continues to debate how to move forward with its fight in favor of plastic recycling and minimizing the long-term impact of plastic production, there’s nothing concrete suggesting anything will change. To this day, up to 90 percent of Canada’s plastics do not get recycled.
A lot of environmental stakeholders are calling upon the government to step up however no national plan has been issued as of this writing. If plastics are not made an environmental priority, it’s reasonable to believe the existing trends in plastics recycling will only continue. Plastics make for troublesome pollution as they take so long to biodegrade and only serve to take up space. Because plastic is such a widely used material and so cheap to make, it’s used in packaging, in so many consumer goods, and has an entire category in its name – single-use plastics.
In Canada, there is currently no campaign discouraging plastic use or banning toxic plastics such as styrofoam. Producers are allowed to continue using plastics as they see fit and it’s left to municipalities on how to deal with it. In response, plastic gradually ends up either incinerated, buried in our landfills, or polluting some of Canada’s great lakes, parks, and oceans. Regarding a proposed ban on plastics that are tough to recycle, this is a controversial method. Although environmentalists support a ban on plastics, others have argued against it. In the meantime, styrofoam continues to be difficult to recycle and used in abundance despite its reputation for being one of the worst plastics available.
More than a plastics ban, some environmentalists are calling on Canada to establish national recycling targets which would help in a plastics strategy. It is believed that if a national strategy was launched, plastics recycling nationwide could increase from the current rate of 10-11 percent to as much as 85 percent by 2025. It has also subsequently been argued for producers and companies using plastics in their products to be more environmentally responsible. To their credit, many companies have opted to change the way they package goods. Cafes and restaurants across Toronto continue to debate different ways to eliminate single-use plastics among other initiatives. If they can do it, why can’t the rest of Canada – this is our question.
Make no mistake about how ambitious these goals are however we believe they’re more than achievable. Canada’s 10-11 percent recycling rate on plastics is unacceptable. This needs to change. There’s no reason anyone should be using plastic straws, plastic cutlery, plastic ups, and similar single-use plastics when there are viable alternatives out there.
Although Canada has announced a $12 million commitment towards plastic innovation, support for a future zero waste strategy, and a commitment to recycle 75 percent of the plastics used by the federal government organization itself, nothing has come applying to consumers or commercial stakeholders Canada-wide. We anxiously await to see what happens as plastic consumption continues to increase across North America.
If you’re seeking plastic recycling, waste management services in Toronto, general recycling, dumpster rental for commercial sites, or junk removal, speak with a representative at Core Mini Bins today.
