Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. But they want to ensure these investments are effective. "But in the grand scheme of things, I feel like this is something we can do for the greater good.". Yesterday we learned that Jonathan Wilkinson, the federal environment minister, is reconsidering a decision he made in December to leave it up to the industry-funded Alberta Energy Regulator to decide if a huge coal mine expansion should be approved near Hinton, just east of the Jasper National Park gate.. Wednesday’s announcement aligns Ottawa more closely with industry stakeholders who have been calling for national guidelines for EPR programs, as well as standards to ensure that some products comprise a certain percentage of recycled content. The Retail Council of Canada, which represents more than 45,000 stores, said it has stressed to the government the importance of consistent national recycling targets, standards and regulations. Federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson on Wednesday released the government’s list of single-use products that it wants to ban as part of its broader effort to reach zero plastic waste by 2030. It is a priority for CBC to create a website that is accessible to all Canadians including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. The Alberta government criticized the toxic designation and the ban, saying such plans will undermine the province’s petrochemical sector and its goal of becoming a plastics-recycling hub. The federal government is taking steps to stop plastics from ending up in our waters, like Lake Huron, as it works to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030. Jonathan Wilkinson PC MP (born June 11, 1965) is a Canadian Liberal politician, who was elected to represent the riding of North Vancouver in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2015 federal election, and re-elected in the 2019 election.He was sworn in as the Minister of Environment and Climate Change on November 20, 2019. “We just need to make sure that we’re not throwing them in the landfill or dumping them in the ocean. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. We just need to make sure that we’re not throwing them in the landfill or dumping them in the ocean.”. Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. Wilkinson said the ban will not include plastics used to make personal protective gear or medical waste. Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says the federal government plans to ban six types of single-use plastic products, including shopping bags, straws and cutlery, each of which has readily available alternatives. Mr. Wilkinson also said the ban will have no impact on access to plastic-based personal protective equipment, which has become more important amid the pandemic. "The COVID-19 crisis has made the critical need for single-use items very clear. But I think we can all learn to live without plastic straws and those plastic grocery bags and things like that. “I definitely think it’s a good step,” said Wallis, who would have liked to see items like Q-Tips and single-use plastic coffee cups banned as well. “I think it’s very important that people don’t focus too much on the ban,” Wilkinson said. Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said the federal government chose six items to ban because they frequently become litter, are difficult to recycle and have readily available alternatives. The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson has served as the Member of Parliament for North Vancouver since 2015. That means: Comments that violate our community guidelines will be removed. The end is coming for plastic grocery bags, straws and cutlery after the federal government announced today which single-use plastics will be covered by a national ban coming into effect next year. Liberals' 2021 single-use plastic ban includes grocery bags, takeout containers. "Is it going to make things tougher for some? Diane Brisebois, president of the Retail Council of Canada, said stores that sell goods wrapped in plastics support the goal of that plan, but that “the key” will be to ensure standards for recyclable content and reusable plastics are uniform across the country. "remove":"add"](select.closed),dom.control.setAttribute("aria-expanded",o)}function onToggleClicked(){var l=!isPanelOpen();setPanelState(l)}function onWindowScroll(){window.requestAnimationFrame(function() {var l=isPanelOpen(),n=0===(document.body.scrollTop||document.documentElement.scrollTop);n||l||!allowExpand?n&&l&&(allowExpand=!0,setPanelState(!1)):(allowExpand=!1,setPanelState(!0))});}pencilInit(".js-sub-pencil",!1); Saskatchewan declares multi-community COVID-19 outbreak linked to gospel events, Liberals promise funding for mental-health workers to partner with police, Residents of Strathcona Park in Vancouver want homeless camp to be shut down, Due to technical reasons, we have temporarily removed commenting from our articles. Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault pointed out it’s much easier to recycle something than create it from natural resources. When asked how small businesses — especially restaurants surviving on takeout sales during the pandemic — will handle the shift, Wilkinson said the government was careful to choose items with environmentally-friendly alternatives already on the market. Federal government proposes banning six single-use plastic products .