Take Action - Stop Plastic Pollution In Its Tracks

Sierra Club Ontario is working with Chapters around the Great Lakes to tackle plastic pollution by encouraging members to take the Plastic-Free July Challenge.

Today, they need your help in ensuring our federal government steps up to the plate on plastics.

The federal government estimates that preventing plastic pollution can save $500 million a year, and create tens of thousands of jobs.

As we rebuild after COVID, wouldn't it be great to create a truly circular economy with respect to plastics?

To get there, the federal government must keep its commitment to regulate plastics, ensure those who produce plastic waste are held responsible for its collection and re-use or recycling, and support clean-up of plastics in our lakes, rivers and oceans.

Please join with those who have taken up the Plastic-Free Challenge and support our members in the Ontario Chapter in pushing for federal action to stop plastic pollution.

Sincerely,

Gretchen Fitzgerald

National Programs Director

P.S.: If you are in Ontario, please consider joining the Plastic-Free Challenge and keep your eyes open for ways you can pressure provincial leaders to take steps on plastic pollution this week as part of provincial lobby day.

Sign your letter below.

To: The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Environment and Climate Change Minister *

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The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Environment and Climate Change Minister

Dear Minister Wilkinson,

Regulating plastic and creating a circular economy for plastic re-use and recycling would be a sound way for Canada to create new employment, save money, and deal with plastic pollution that chokes wildlife and pollutes our land and water.

As you are aware, the science is in on plastic pollution, and the Canadian Government's Draft Science Assessment of Plastic Pollution, released in January 2020, concludes action is needed to deal with plastic pollution.

Dealing with plastic pollution should be part of our just recovery from COVID. The Government of Canada has estimated regulating plastic will create 42,000 new jobs and save half a billion dollars a year.

I am calling on you to act by:

1. keeping your promise to ban single-use plastics by 2021 and regulate plastic pollution in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act;

2. working with your provincial partners to implement Extended Producer Responsibility rules and policies that would create jobs and savings as part of our recovery for COVID;

3. signing the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, committing Canada to take responsibility for plastic waste – and potentially other toxic materials – and does not pass the trash to other nations; and

4. doubling Canada’s current commitment to support fishers, Indigenous peoples, and coastal communities in the clean-up of ghost gear in our oceans.

Sincerely,

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