The move is designed to help the Canadian government understand the impacts of plastic pollution on the country’s natural environment and public health
The Canadian government is looking to generate zero plastic waste by 2030 (Credit: Pixabay)
The Canadian government has announced it’s investing more than 2m Canadian dollars in 16 science-based research projects focused on plastic pollution.
The aim behind this is to learn more about the impacts of plastic pollution on the country’s natural environment and public health.
It follows on from the Canadian government publishing its final Science Assessment of Plastic Pollution study, which looks at the presence of plastic pollution and its effects on the environment and human health.
This assessment confirms that plastic pollution is everywhere and negatively impacts the environment, also determining that there are gaps in knowledge.
The Canadian government’s parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Peter Schiefke said: “The government of Canada is working hard to address plastic pollution and move toward a more circular economy, including by banning certain harmful single-use plastics.
“By collaborating with university researchers and not-for-profit organisations, we are bridging the information gaps on the effects of plastics on the health of Canadians and our environment, making progress toward zero plastic waste by 2030 and creating a cleaner future for our children and grandchildren.”
Canadian government investing in the circular economy to tackle plastic pollution
In Canada, 29,000 tonnes of plastic entered the environment as pollution in 2016 alone, and without concrete action to prevent plastic pollution, this amount could rise to 40,000 tonnes by 2030.
Canadians also throw away more than three million tonnes of plastic waste every year, while only 9% of the country’s plastic waste is recycled while the rest ends up in landfills, waste-to-energy facilities, or the environment.
In order to address the problem, the government is taking action to protect the environment, and reduce plastic waste and pollution across the country.
It has a comprehensive plan to address plastic waste, with this featuring a move towards a circular economy, an approach that seeks to support change across the entire lifecycle of plastics – from design to manufacture, use, and recovery.
The plan also includes a ban on certain harmful single-use plastic items that are often found in the environment, are often not recycled, and have readily available alternatives.
The Canadian government believes that these proposals will put the country on a pathway to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030.