Ban on common single-use plastics

Summary#

The federal government made the Single‑use Plastics Prohibition Regulations (SOR/2022‑138) on June 20, 2022. They ban the manufacture, import and (in time) the sale of a set of common single‑use plastic items, while keeping narrow exceptions for exports for a limited period and for certain flexible straws needed by some people.

What it does#

• Bans manufacture, import and (eventually) sale of these six categories of single‑use plastics:
  • checkout bags
  • cutlery (forks, knives, spoons, sporks, chopsticks)
  • foodservice ware made from or containing problematic plastics (for example, expanded polystyrene, PVC, oxo‑degradable plastics, or plastics with certain black pigments)
  • ring carriers (the looped bands that hold multipacks of drinks)
  • stir sticks
  • straws
• Keeps some exceptions:
  • Flexible straws (the bendy ones) may still be manufactured/imported and can be sold in limited ways so people who need them can get them (see below).
  • Items that are merely in transit through Canada or that are already waste are not covered.
  • Export of these items is allowed for a temporary transition period (see timing).
• Rules to check whether an item counts as “single‑use” or “reusable” require lab testing by an accredited lab (standard ISO/IEC 17025).
• Record and retention rules: firms that manufacture or import these items for export must keep documentation for five years.
• Staggered timing (based on the regulation’s registration on June 20, 2022):
  • Prohibitions on manufacture/import for most listed items: after six months (≈ December 20, 2022).
  • Manufacture/import ban for ring carriers: after one year (≈ June 20, 2023).
  • Prohibition on sale for most items: after 18 months (≈ December 20, 2023).
  • Prohibition on sale for ring carriers (and some packaging rules for flexible straws): after 24 months (≈ June 20, 2024).
  • The special export exemption ends after 42 months (≈ December 20, 2025).

Who's affected#

• Consumers and the general public — these items are widely used in daily life (bags, straws, takeout containers, utensils).
• Retailers and grocery stores — especially those that supply checkout bags and packaged straws.
• Foodservice businesses (restaurants, cafés, takeout) — many supply cutlery, straws and foodservice ware to customers.
• Manufacturers and importers of the six categories — they will need to stop domestic manufacture/import or shift to substitutes; some may continue limited export for the transition period.
• People who need accessible options — hospitals, care homes and people with certain disabilities are explicitly accommodated for flexible plastic straws.
• Municipalities, clean‑up groups and waste managers — changes in litter types and waste tonnage will affect collection and disposal work.
• It is not always clear how large the impacts will be for individual small manufacturers or specific communities; effects will vary by business and region.

Why it matters#

• The rules aim to reduce plastic pollution from items commonly found as litter and that are hard to recycle.
• Expected environmental impact (government analysis):
  • Net reduction of about 1.3 million tonnes of plastic waste over a 10‑year period.
  • Estimated reduction of about 22,000 tonnes of plastic pollution over the same period.
• Costs and benefits (government analysis, present‑value figures):
  • Estimated total cost to the economy of about $2 billion over 10 years.
  • Monetized benefits (largely from avoided litter clean‑up and avoided marine impacts) estimated at about $616 million.
  • The government estimated the cost will be spread across consumers at roughly $5 per person per year on average.
• Real‑world effects you might notice:
  • Stores may stop offering free thin plastic bags and will switch to paper, reusable bags or charge for bags.
  • Restaurants and cafés will shift to non‑plastic or reusable utensils and containers.
  • Flexible plastic straws will still be available in certain ways so people who need them can access them.
  • Waste managers may see heavier volumes (paper/wood substitutes are heavier than thin plastic), and litter composition should change over time.
• The regulations were made under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 to respond to the ecological risks from plastic pollution.