Vancouver has voted to ban the use of plastic straws and bags starting in April 2020, making it the first major Canadian city to enact such a ban.
The move, aimed at cutting the use of plastic bags and certain other single-use plastic products, is part of a trend in many countries aimed at reducing plastic pollution. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last summer plans to ban by early 2021 some single-use plastics such as straws, bags and cutlery.
The Montreal enacted a ban on certain types of plastic bags in 2018. Vancouver said plastic bags and straws each make up 3% of shoreline litter on its beaches each year. Almost 90% of plastic products in Canada end up in landfills or the environment, according to a government-commissioned study.
In Vancouver, plastic straws will be banned as of April 22, 2020, while plastic bags, including those made of biodegradable material, will be banned on January 1, 2021.
