Take Action Burlington

Waste Reduction Week in Canada

Waste Reduction Week in Canada is a national campaign led by the Recycling Council of Ontario. It is a year-round campaign focused on the principles of circular economy, resource efficiency and waste. Each year, the third week of October focuses on celebrating environmental efforts and achievements and empowering Canadians to take action to adopt more environmentally conscious choices.

This year’s campaign takes place from Oct. 19 to 25 with different themes on each day:

• Circular Economy Monday
• Textiles Tuesday
• E-Waste Wednesday
• Plastics Thursday
• Food Waste Friday
• Sharing Economy Saturday
• Swap and Repair Sunday

Next year, Waste Reduction Week in Canada is celebrating its 20^th year from Oct. 18-24, 2021. Check out a short video highlighting events held across Canada in 2019 for some ideas to start planning your campaign for 2021.

Single-use plastics

Plastic waste in Canada and around the world is a growing concern as plastic products are used in most sectors of the economy. According to a 2019 report produced for Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), plastic resin and product manufacturing sales in Canada totaled about $35 billion and employed 93,000 people. In 2016, about nine percent of plastic waste was recycled, four percent incinerated with energy recovery, 86 percent landfilled, and one percent (about 29,000 tonnes) leaked into the environment impacting wildlife, ecosystems, rivers, lakes and oceans.

This month, ECCC released a report titled “Science assessment of plastic pollution” which stated that action is needed to reduce macroplastics (plastics larger than 5 mm) and microplastics (plastics equal to or smaller than 5 mm) from ending up in the environment. A discussion paper called “A proposed integrated management approach to plastic products to prevent waste and pollution” was also released which includes a proposal to ban or restrict single-use plastic products.

You have an opportunity to provide written comments to the Director of the Plastics and Marine Litter Division of ECCC by Dec. 9, 2020 at ec.plastiques-plastics.ec@canada.ca. While all comments are welcome, you are asked to provide input on three categories that are discussed in the paper:

• Managing single-use plastics (4 questions)
• Establishing performance standards (8 questions)
• Ensuring end of life responsibility (1 question)

Take Action Burlington:

• Provide comments on the report identified above.
• Check out the Waste Reduction Week in Canada website for tips to reduce your impact. You might also be interested in the following highlighted on their site:
  • Register for Plastics Thursday webinar “Closing the Loop: Increasing Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic Content for Circular Outcomes.”
  • Take the food pledge as part of Food Waste Friday. There is a pledge for adults and one for kids.

Take Action Burlington. Collectively we can make a difference!