Oceana Canada poll shows support for single-use plastics ban

A recent poll commissioned by Oceana Canada and conducted by Abacus Data reveals 82 percent 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, Oceana says.

The Toronto-based organization says that with a Canadian election on the horizon, support for the ban 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, Oceana claims that with evidence of microplastics and plastic chemicals in the human body being linked to cancers, infertility, breathing issues and heart disease, among other issues, 82 percent of Canadians are concerned about the human health impacts of plastics.

“Canadians from coast to coast have adapted to the ban on single-use plastics and seen the benefits,” says Anthony Merante, Oceana Canada’s senior plastics campaigner. “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.”

Oceana Canada is calling on the Canadian government and all political parties to prioritize tackling plastic pollution, including 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,” Merante says. “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.”

According to Oceana’s research, Canada faces a significant plastic pollution problem, producing more than 4 million tons of plastic scrap annually, with half coming from single-use plastic packaging and only 8 percent being recycled nationally. The organization’s report claims major grocery stores, fast food chains, e-commerce and beverage bottlers are the primary contributors to this material.

Key findings in Oceana’s polling include:

• 84 percent of women and 80 percent of men support the ban of single-use plastics;
• the support was high across every region of Canada, from 72 percent among residents of Alberta to 92 percent from residents of Quebec;
• 82 percent of Canadians support the ban on single-use plastics, including 71 percent of those who plan to vote Conservative in the next election, 86 percent NDP and 93 percent Liberal;
• People over the age of 60 (82 percent0 and people under 30 (85 percent) are most concerned about the health impacts of plastics; and
• 85 percent of women and 79 percent of men are concerned about the health impacts of plastics

Additional information on Oceana Canada’s campaign to stop single-use plastic pollution can be found here.