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Responding to Basel Convention on Plastic Waste Amendments and Canada-US Arrangement on the trade of Plastic Waste

Responding to Basel Convention on Plastic Waste Amendments and Canada-US Arrangement on the trade of Plastic Waste

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HEJSupport and CELA (Canadian Environmental Law Association) submitted a letter to the Plastics and Waste Management Directorate of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Canada to support strong measures on plastic waste management.

The following actions are outlined that are needed to address plastic waste in Canada:

  1. Ratification of the Basel Convention Plastic Waste Amendments before January 1, 2021;
  2. The release of Canada’s National Strategy on Plastics by 2021 that will include a ban of
    “harmful single-use plastics” as stated in the Speech from the Throne1;
  3. Regulate plastic waste under CEPA, including listing to Schedule 1 (Toxics Substances
    List) and Schedule 3 (Export Control List);
  4. Require transparency and public reporting on the movement of plastic waste and its
    further management.
  5. Establish a multi-stakeholder expert group to discuss plastic arrangements between the
    US and Canada with full public engagement.

The letter states that:

  • Delaying the acceptance of Basel Convention plastic amendments goes against Canada’s plans to regulate plastic waste and leaves Canada vulnerable to plastic scrap import from the US and other OECD countries.
  • Canada cannot jeopardize obligations set by the international agreement (Basel Convention) to which it is a party.
  • The development of the arrangements between the US and Canada cannot cause delays in acceptance of the Basel Convention Plastic Waste Amendments by Canada.

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Written by Olga Speranskaya

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