Tackling Plastic Pollution is a Non-Partisan Issue: Oceana Canada Poll Shows Vast Majority of Canadians Still Support Banning Single-Use Plastics
24 July 2024 - 10:00AM
Toronto, the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of
the Credit, the Anishnaabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and
the Wendat Peoples — A new Oceana
Canada-commissioned poll by Abacus Data reveals that 82% of all
Canadians support the now 18-month-old ban on single-use plastics,
including checkout bags, six-pack rings, straws, takeout
containers, and cutlery. With a Canadian election on the horizon,
this support notably spans across voting preferences, age groups,
and provinces of residence, indicating a strong national consensus
on how to tackle one of the planet’s biggest threats.
Additionally, with growing evidence that microplastics and
plastic chemicals in our bodies are linked to cancers,1
infertility,2 breathing issues,3 hormone disruption,4 Alzheimer's
disease,5 and heart disease,6 82% of Canadians are concerned about
the human health impacts of plastics.
"Canadians from coast to coast to coast have adapted to the ban
on single-use plastics and seen the benefits. Canadians expect
serious and practical action from the government to reduce waste
and ensure products and systems are truly circular, safe, and of
good quality,” said Anthony Merante, Senior Plastics Campaigner,
Oceana Canada.
Oceana Canada is calling on the Canadian government and all
political parties to prioritize tackling plastic pollution. This
includes ending the sale of plastic packaging that is not collected
and recycled in Canada.
“Retailers have been promising this for years without action,
and we cannot continue to burden a failing system”, added Merante.
“Moving to materials that do get recycled and systems that reuse
materials is both cost-effective and better for the planet.
Companies continue to sell Canadians garbage in the form of plastic
packaging that ultimately ends up in the environment and our
bodies. The solution is clear: Canada needs to tackle the problem
before it reaches the shelves, rather than wasting resources on
cleaning up massive amounts of waste.”
Plastic Pollution Crisis:Canada faces a
significant plastic pollution problem, producing more than four
million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with half coming from
single-use plastic packaging and shockingly only 8% of plastic is
recycled nationally. Major grocery stores, fast food chains,
e-commerce, and beverage bottlers are the primary contributors to
this waste.7 Studies reveal that plastic breaks down into micro-
and nano-plastics, which have been found everywhere, including in
rain clouds, the air, and our food, as well as in our lungs, brain,
and blood.
Key Findings:
- 84% of women and 80% of men support the ban of use single-use
plastics.
- The support was high across every region of Canada, from 72%
among residents of Alberta to 92% from residents of Quebec.
- 82% of Canadians support the ban on single-use plastics,
including 71% of those who plan to vote Conservative in the next
election, 86% NDP, and 93% Liberal.
- People over the age of 60 (82%) and people under 30 (85%) are
most concerned about the health impacts of plastics.
- 85% of women and 79% of men are concerned about the health
impacts of plastics.
Find out more about Oceana Canada’s campaign to stop single-use
plastic pollution at Oceana.ca/Plastics.
Oceana Canada was established as an independent
charity in 2015 and is part of the largest international advocacy
group dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana Canada has
successfully campaigned to ban single-use plastics, end the shark
fin trade, make rebuilding depleted fish populations the law,
improve the way fisheries are managed and protect marine habitat.
We work with civil society, academics, fishers, Indigenous Peoples
and the federal government to return Canada’s formerly vibrant
oceans to health and abundance. By restoring Canada’s oceans, we
can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and
nutritional benefits and protect our future. Find out more at
www.oceana.ca.
Media contacts: Vaishali Dassani, Oceana Canada,
vdassani@oceana.ca, 647-294-3335; Angela Pinzon, Pilot
PMR, angela.pinzon@pilotpmr.com,
647-295-0517. Media assets available here.
1
https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/risk-factors/exposure-to-chemicals-in-plastic2https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723045473
3https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10826726/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20microplastics%20have%20been,impact%20on%20our%20immune%20systems.
4
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9885170/5https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389424000979#:~:text=Nanoplastics%2C%20widely%20existing%20in%20the,like%20Alzheimer's%20disease%20(AD).
6 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2309822 7
https://oceana.ca/en/reports/breaking-the-plastic-cycle-a-policy-roadmap-to-eliminate-one-third-of-canadas-plastic-packaging-waste/#:~:text=Breaking%20the%20Plastic%20Cycle%20is,all%20plastic%20waste%20in%20Canada.