Plastic pollution is worsening fast. Canada needs to step up action to stop it
Nearly 90 per cent of plastic waste in Canada ends up in landfills, incinerators, lakes, parks and the ocean. Plastic pollution is toxic — it hurts the wildlife we love, the planet we live on and, ultimately, us.
In January 2026, the Federal Court of Appeal struck down the plastic industry's challenge to the listing of "manufactured plastic items" as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The unanimous decision protects the federal government's authority to regulate plastic pollution.
This decision sets the stage for Canada to take the bold action needed to tackle plastics and other toxic pollution at its source. But the federal government has yet to announce new measures and instead is weakening the regulation that prohibits certain harmful single-use plastics.
We can all take individual action to limit our plastic consumption, but that by itself won't solve the problem. Around the world, plastic production and pollution are accelerating.
How to stop plastic pollution?
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Protect vulnerable communities from toxic emissions and waste.
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Eliminate microplastic contamination.
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Expand the ban on unnecessary single-use plastics and prohibit harmful chemicals in plastics.
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Champion a strong global plastics treaty that limits the amount of plastic produced worldwide.
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Back trade and investment agreements that support environmental objectives. The World Trade Organization has identified more than 220 policy measures in place in member countries, proving this is feasible and increasingly normalized within the global trading system.
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Stop the fossil fuel industry's efforts to undermine progress.
Speak up for stronger measures to end plastic pollution.
I am writing to express my deep concern about the growing problem of plastic pollution and the ways in which plastic production contributes to the triple planetary climate crisis — climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
The Federal Court of Appeal's recently upheld Environment and Climate Change Canada's designation of "manufactured plastic items" as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). Environmental advocates highlight that the decision reinforces the federal government's constitutional authority to regulate plastic pollution — including the toxic chemicals in plastics — and to take strong action to protect human health and the environment.
With the legal issues settled, Canada can and must accelerate action to end plastic pollution and its impacts on our health and biodiversity. I urge you to support federal leadership on these priorities:
- Expanding Canada's regulatory ban on non-essential single-use plastics.
- Phasing out chemicals of concern in plastic products.
- Protecting communities disproportionately burdened by plastic production and waste.
- Negotiating an ambitious global treaty on plastic pollution that addresses the full life cycle of plastics.
- Funding for chemicals management, the zero plastic waste action plan and improving the circularity of Canada's economy to allow these important federal initiatives to continue, as recommended by the Green Budget Coalition.
As Canada seeks to diversify trading relationships, this is an opportune time to pursue ambitious plastic pollution measures through trade and investment agreements that support environmental objectives (as the David Suzuki Foundation proposes). This means restricting trade in problematic plastic products and waste, and incentivizing safer, circular alternatives and aligning with stronger measures in the European Union.
With plastic pollution ever increasing at unsustainable levels, and expected to triple by 2060, Canada needs to step up action before it's too late. I support stronger measures to reduce plastic pollution and protect our health, climate and environment, and hope you will too.
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