According to CNBC, checkout bags, cutlery and straws are among the items that will be affected by the regulation, if they are made of or include plastics that are hard to recycle.
The government says that medical purpose objects that are made of plastic will make an exception.
The law will come in effect from December 2022 and the sale of the items will be prohibited starting December 2023 in order to give businesses enough time to prepare for the transition and to use existing stocks.
Government data shows that single-use plastic represents most of the plastic waste that gets washed up on Canadian shorelines, since 15 billion checkout bags are being used every year and 16 million straws every day.
According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the law will eliminate some 1.3 million tons of plastic waste over the next decade, which is the equivalent of one million garbage bags.
"We promised to ban harmful single-use plastics, and we’re keeping that promise", said the Prime Minister of Canada.
In order to address international plastic pollution, Canada will phase out exports of plastic by the end of 2025.
Steven Guilbeault, the federal minister of environment and climate change, said that "by the end of the year, you won’t be able to manufacture or import these harmful plastics. After that, businesses will begin offering the sustainable solutions Canadians want, whether that’s paper straws or reusable bags."
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