Extent of Plastic Pollution in Canada a Mystery Despite Fed Spending Millions to Halt It: Report

The true amount of plastic pollution in Canada is a mystery, despite Ottawa budgeting millions to eliminate it, according to a federal government report. The report comes after in-house research was released, showing that few Canadians consider plastic waste a serious problem. Ottawa has set specific targets to eliminate plastic waste at a cost of $279 million, but the report was inconclusive on how much plastic waste has been leaked into the environment. The report, which was authored by Environment Commissioner Jerry DeMarco, was recently tabled in Parliament and obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter. The report said plastic waste had increased from 3.5 million tonnes per year in 2012 to approximately 4 million tonnes in 2018. In order to achieve the goal of zero plastic waste by 2030, the federal government needs to work more with provincial and local governments, the author noted....