Summary
Details
- Canada
This law has a mandatory nature.
Criteria_
The Regulations prohibit (subject to defined conditions and timelines) the manufacture, import, and sale of certain single-use plastic items, including:
Single-use plastic checkout bags
Single-use plastic cutlery
Single-use plastic foodservice ware
Single-use plastic stir sticks
Single-use plastic straws (with specific rules and exceptions for flexible straws)
Ring carriers (with phased requirements) laws-lois.justice.gc.ca+2www.gazette.gc.ca+2
Exceptions:
The federal government explicitly recognises an exception framework allowing single-use plastic flexible straws to remain available under specific conditions (for accessibility-related needs and defined settings).
The Regulations and supporting guidance distinguish certain “reusable” plastic substitutes from “single-use” using performance criteria and test methods (important for compliance decisions when switching products).
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What’s Required
Businesses that manufacture, import, distribute, or sell relevant products must ensure they do not place prohibited items on the Canadian market in breach of the Regulations. This includes controlling product specifications and supply chains to avoid prohibited categories and ensuring documentation aligns with any applicable exceptions.
Important Deadlines
In force from December 20, 2022
December 20, 2023: Manufacture and import of most listed single-use plastic items prohibited
December 20, 2024: Sale of most listed single-use plastic items prohibited
Compliance required by the applicable product-specific prohibition date
Documentation for permitted exceptions, such as flexible straws, must be maintained
Current Status
The Regulations were published in 2022 and remain the operative federal prohibition framework for the listed items.
A related legal dispute exists around the federal listing of “plastic manufactured items” under CEPA Schedule 1: a Federal Court decision in 2023 declared the listing order invalid, and the Federal Court of Appeal granted a stay in January 2024 pending appeal, meaning the regulatory regime continues to operate while litigation proceeds.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Enforcement is tied to CEPA and federal compliance and enforcement tools. CEPA includes offence provisions with substantial fine ranges (including higher ranges for organisations and repeat offences), alongside other enforcement measures.
Examples of Known Violations
A foodservice distributor must stop importing or selling prohibited single-use plastic cutlery and transition to compliant alternatives that meet any “reusable vs single-use” performance criteria where relevant.
A retailer can sell flexible straws only within the exception framework, and must avoid selling non-exempt single-use plastic straws where prohibited
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