Get Ready for a Zero Plastic Waste Initiative
According to the report “Drowning in Plastic” written by Oceana Canada, more than 3.3 million tons of plastic are thrown out every year in Canada. Half of that waste is from single-use plastics.
Thirty-five countries worldwide have already put measures in place to ban single-use plastics.
Concerned with decreasing its carbon footprint, Canada follows suit with its project to ban single-use plastics entirely during 2021, with the ultimate goal of zero plastic waste by 2030.
Facts and Statistics About Plastic Waste
To help you visualize the impact of plastic on our planet, here are a few facts and statistics from Oceana Canada.
- 87% of plastic waste in Canada ends up as litter in nature or landfills.
- Over the past 30 years, Canada has exported approximately 4 million tons of plastic waste to Asia.
- A measly 9% of plastic is recycled, both nationally and globally.
- Researchers found plastic waste in even the deepest zones of the ocean, in the arctic ice, and even in the desert air.
- Millions of animals are caught up in plastic waste or ingest it, resulting in serious injury, famine and death.
- Once the plastic is produced, it is never completely broken down. Instead, over time it disintegrates into microparticles and nanoparticles, becoming part of the food chain.
- Every year more than 8 million metric tons of plastic are found in the ocean. To visualize, imagine a garbage truck filled to the brim with plastic, dumping its load into the ocean every minute for the whole year.
- Ten thousand tons of plastic are found in the Great Lakes every year.
- The Great Lakes contain up to 6.7 million particles of plastic per kilometre squared. That’s higher than the concentration of plastic found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
- Microplastics outnumber zooplankton.
- Canada uses 4.6 million metric tons of plastic per year, throwing out 70% of that consumption.
- In Canada, 47% of plastic comes in the form of product packaging. Most packaging is thrown out within six months of its original production.
What Does the Canadian Government Suggest?
For years the Canadian government has been working towards the elimination of plastic waste in Canada.
Here are a couple of the proposed objectives found in their Zero Plastic Waste initiative.
- Eliminate the Source of Plastic Pollution | Managing the manufacturing of plastic products, or banning their use altogether – especially single-use plastics – there will be less plastic waste and therefore reduced damage to the environment.
Canada plans to ban these six single-use plastics by the end of 2021.
- Plastic bags
- Straws
- Mixing sticks
- 6-pack rings
- Plastic utensils
- Hard to recycle food containers
These products are not recyclable, and thankfully alternatives are already easily accessible.
- Reinforce the Demand for Recyclable Plastics | Increasing the demand for recyclable plastics will stimulate investments in recycling centers and further develop the recycling market.
- Improve Collection and Processing of Plastic Packaging | Reducing the number of plastics that end up in landfills while increasing the amount collected for recycling.
- Encouraging New Technology | Supporting researchers and companies that develop technologies for reducing and preventing pollution while improving the management of plastics in general.
The Impact of Zero Plastic Waste on Packaging and Label Manufacturing
This project protects fauna, water sources and our environment overall. It will also impact the packaging and label industry. \
Many packaging and label products, for example, heat-shrink sleeves and PLU labels, will need to be revised and reworked in order to offer a product that is 100% recyclable.
Multi-Action is the leader in label manufacturing in North America. Leading new technologies and innovations, we are always at work to find and create new solutions that allow us to adapt to new trends and regulations.
Whether or not this project comes to fruition, we must be ready! Our planet is our future, deserving of our respect and protection.
Contact us for solutions to your green label and packaging needs. We produce recyclable and compostable products, and continually come up with new solutions. We have the perfect eco-friendly solution to add value to your products.
Together we can save the planet…one label at a time!
