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Negotiations toward a global, legally binding plastics treaty are set to resume this summer, with the United Nations Environment Program announcing that the .

The committee was established to develop an , one of the fastest-growing environmental threats.

Globally, goes into the production of single-use plastic packaging, which is the single largest source of plastic waste and is a threat to wildlife and human health. Without meaningful action, by 2060, reaching an estimated 1.2 billion tons.

As the world prepares for another round of talks, Canada's own plastic problem reveals what's at stake, and what's possible for the future.

Canada's plastic problem

Canada is no exception to the global plastic crisis. Nearly half (47%) of all plastic waste in Canada comes from the food and drink sector, . Canadians use 15 billion plastic bags annually and nearly 57 million straws daily, yet only 9% of plastics are recycled—a figure that is not expected to improve.

Most of Canada's plastic—except for plastic bottles made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate)—are uneconomical or because of the complexity of mixed plastics used in our economy. As a result, of plastic waste—equivalent to the weight of 24 CN Towers—end up in landfills every year.

This is not a trivial problem, as . Plastic pollution poses growing risks to both urban and rural infrastructure.

In addition to landfill overflow, around 1% of Canada's plastic waste leaks into the environment. In 2016, this was . Once in the environment, plastics disintegrate into tiny particles, called microplastics (small pieces of plastic less than five millimeters long).

We drink those tiny microplastic particles in our tap water, and . Some are even making their way into farmland.

Plastics are everywhere, including inside us

have expressed concerns over single-use plastics used in food packaging and have supported government bans. There is a good reason for concern over the mounting levels of .

Growing evidence indicates that plastics can cause harmful health effects in humans and animals. Microplastics and smaller nanoplastics (less than one micron in length) have been found in humans, including infants and breast milk. They can cause .

These health problems may be caused by chemicals added to plastics, including single-use plastics, of which .

It is for these reasons that the Canadian government introduced a ban on single-use plastics in 2022 as part of a plan to reach zero plastic waste in Canada by 2030.

The decision was based extensive public and industry consultation, as well as decades of data on plastic pollution gathered from . This data shows the most common plastic litter items found in the environment across Canada, known as list.

Six of these items were included in the federal ban. before the federal government, with little to no public or industry opposition. .

The politics of plastic

Despite overwhelming scientific consensus, debates around plastic pollution are becoming increasingly politicized.

In February in the United States, to "stop purchasing paper straws and ensure they are no longer provided within federal buildings."

Trump told reporters at the White House: "I don't think plastic is going to affect a shark very much, as they're munching their way through the ocean." Almost 2,000 peer-reviewed studies have reported, however, that .

In Canada, plastic has also become a political flashpoint. During the recent federal election, and bring back plastic straws and grocery bags. He argued the government's ban was about "symbolism" rather than "science," saying, "the Liberals' plastics ban is not about the environment, it's about cost and control."

His promise would have harmed Canadians by dismissing the overwhelming scientific evidence showing that plastics in our bodies are linked to health impacts. reductions in plastic waste and pollution in the environment, depending on the policy and jurisdiction.

Canada's single-use plastics ban is a great example of evidence-based policymaking. there was a 32% drop in plastic straws found on Canadian shorelines in 2024 compared to the previous year.

Science-based policies are needed

It is indisputable that . Increasing plastic pollution is a global threat to human and ecosystem health, regardless of borders and political affiliation.

As , the need for is more urgent than ever.

Future generations deserve a healthy and sustainable planet. The path towards a healthy and sustainable planet requires supporting action based on scientific evidence, .

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