Canada | The Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations were published on the CEPA Registry. A Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations

Plastic pollution is considered to be plastic that is discarded, disposed of, or abandoned in the environment.

In an environmental context, plastics are often categorized by size, with macroplastics being larger than 5 millimetres (mm) and microplastics being less than or equal to 5 mm.

In June 2022, Environment and Climate Change Canada published the Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations on the Canadian Environmental Protection Act  (CEPA) Registry. These regulations prohibit the manufacture, import, and sale of 6 categories of single-use plastics. These regulations also provide exemptions to accommodate people with disabilities.

To assist stakeholders with the new regulations, Environment and Climate Change Canada published 2 guidance documents:

• Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations – Guidance for selecting alternatives, developed to help businesses and other organizations make decisions on alternative products or systems that prevent pollution and help Canada transition to a circular economy
• Single-use Plastics Prohibitions Regulations - Technical guidelines developed to provide information about the requirements of the regulations

In December 2021, the proposed Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations were published in the Canada Gazette, Part I: Vol. 155, No. 52 – December 25, 2021 for a 70-day public comment period. A draft of the Guidance for Selecting Alternatives to the Single-Use Plastics in the Proposed Single-Use Plastics Prohibition Regulations  was also published for a 70-day comment period. Comments received were considered in the development of the final regulations and guidance documents.