​​​​​​​​A Global Challenge

Plastics are convenient, durable, and play an essential role in our economy, but plastic waste and pollution are leaking into our environment and choking our oceans at an alarming rate. Today’s linear plastics economy represents a loss of economic value and a source of avoidable greenhouse gases. Significant effort is required by all sectors to eliminate plastic waste.

A groundbreaking new report is the most recent in a series of studies to shine a light on the urgent need for action. Breaking the Plastic Wave suggests we are at a crossroads. Take ambitious and concerted action now, mobilizing existing technologies and solutions, and solve the plastic problem in one generation, or wait five years and risk an additional 80 million metric tonnes of plastic going into the ocean by 2040.

Key Facts

• Canadians throw away 3 million tonnes of plastic waste each year - only 9% is recycled with the majority ending up in landfills. ¹
• Plastic waste that isn’t recycled represents $7.8 billion in lost economic value.¹
• As little as 2% of plastics end up being recycled globally.¹
• Plastic waste is entering the ocean at a rate of about 11 million metric tonnes a year.²
• 95% of the material value of plastic packaging is lost to the global economy after only a single use³

References

1. Government of Canada (ECCC), Economic Study of the Canadian Plastic Industry, Markets and Waste: summary report to Environment and Climate Change Canada, (Deloitte for ECCC, 2019)
2. Breaking the Plastic Wave, Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ, 2020.
3. Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. November 23, 2018.