Ban plastic bags now, says Canadiann professor

Posted on March 14, 2018 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste News

Canada’s G7 anti-plastics push limited by domestic action, professor says

Source: Ban plastic bags now, says Cdn professor

Walker says when plastic bags or bottles or straws are tossed away, and end up in the dump, the river or the ocean, they will eventually break down into smaller bits from friction, UV light, or salt water. Plastics account for about 85 per cent of the garbage found in the ocean and can often trap marine life, or be mistaken by fish and turtles as food.

In 2015, Australian scientists found more than 90 per cent of the sea birds they studied had plastic in their digestive tracts.

Walker says at a round table event hosted by McKenna’s department last month, academics, environment groups, plastic makers and representatives from the food industry all sat down to talk about what can be done and he thinks the government is getting ready to make some big announcements.

This coming week, Stephen Lucas, Canada’s deputy environment minister, will be in San Diego at the sixth annual Marine Debris Conference sponsored by the United Nations where he is considered a keynote panellist.