By Sabrina De Souza and Natalie Armanious INTRODUCTION
Traditionally, Ontario has operated through a linear “make-use-dispose” waste management system that has been culturally ingrained in Canadians. As a result, it is estimated that Ontario will run out of landfill space by 2036. In Canada, 4.4 million tonnes of plastic are introduced to the Canadian market annually, with Ontario contributing 1.24 million tonnes of plastic waste. From this, only 10% of generated plastics are recycled or incinerated nationwide. More than 82% end up in landfills and 7% are mismanaged. This demonstrates that Ontario’s waste management system is struggling to mitigate the growing plastic pollution problem. However, with growing concerns for environmental sustainability, the Ontario government has started moving toward a circular economy to advance environmental priorities. BACKGROUND In Ontario, steps toward a circular economy begin with the Waste-Free Ontario Act, 2016. Once proclaimed the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act (RRCEA) was subsequently enacted, establishing three main pillars:
KEY CONSIDERATIONS Inadequate waste management systems will continue to exacerbate the plastic crisis. Despite ongoing efforts by the Ontario government to transition to a circular economy, a five year progress report released in 2021 indicates that progress has been slow. Further, between 2006-2022, one-third of Ontario’s waste disposal needs were met by landfills in Michigan, New York and Ohio. This highlights Ontario’s overreliance on external forces to handle waste management and the inadequacy of the transitioning infrastructure to meet the demands of a circular economy and provide environmental relief. Consideration toward economic ramifications is crucial as environmentally sustainable measures may place limits on growth. In Canada, plastic resins and products are estimated to be a $35 billion industry, with manufacturing estimated to account for 5% of sales in the Canadian manufacturing sector which employs 93,000 people across 1,932 establishments. Transitioning away from traditional plastics may impact industries reliant on plastic production, risking job losses and economic dislocation. Long-term sustainable solutions are necessary to mitigate the plastic crisis and to preserve the finite resources of the planet. It takes anywhere between 20-500 years for plastic to decompose, and even then it only degrades into increasingly smaller microplastics.This highlights the importance of considering the life cycle impacts of alternative materials, assessing their environmental footprint, and ensuring that proposed solutions are viable long term. RECOMMENDATIONS What measures can the Ontario government take to address the escalating implications of plastic pollution, exacerbated by inadequate waste management practices, while ensuring compliance with the structure of a circular economy? 1. Integration of biodegradable plastics into the economy Biodegradable plastics are a necessary component of navigating plastic pollution. Biodegradable plastics can be converted to microbial material when they come into contact with CO2 and CH4, and microbial biomass. This would be an efficient method in alleviating the plastic pollution and landfill crisis throughout Ontario. This allows the use of plastics, but in a more sustainable manner. Canada is currently a top user of biodegradable plastics, and a policy that enforces its use over other types of plastic would encourage a streamlined, biodegradable plastics function in all aspects of the market. As a populated province, it is important that Ontario take advantage of all available options, however, greater research is needed to understand best end-of-life practices for these biodegradable practices, and the cost-efficiency of integrating its use into the economy. This can be done under the Waste-Free Ontario Act as it highlights the need to sustainably create and manage production. 2. Emphasis on reusable options rather than single-use Reusable options satisfy the six environmental metrics: greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), or global warming potential (GWP), water consumption, resource extraction, waste generation, litter generation, and plastic pollution. This would mean streamlining reusable practices for companies, such as encouraging companies to promote reusable options at an incentive base. This recommendation would reduce the amount of waste disposed of in landfills, and decrease greenhouse gas consumption by lowering production levels of single-use items. Currently, Canada is taking various steps to tackle the plastic problem. The Federal Government enacted the Federal Plastics Registry in April, 2024, mandating plastic producers to report the quantity of plastic collected and diverted, reused, repaired, remanufactured, refurbished, recycled, chemically processed, composted, incinerated, and landfilled. This will encourage an emphasis of recycled content to be used in various products, ultimately discouraging excessive plastic pollution. CONCLUSION As the plastic problem continues, it is vital that the provincial and federal government continue taking initiatives to move away from a linear-economy. This article argues for the benefits and necessities of a curricular economy, highlighting the short-comings of Ontario in managing its waste systems. However, Canada and Ontario are using various initiatives to combat the linear economy crisis, which is highly exacerbated by plastic waste. It is recommended that there be an integration of biodegradable plastics into the economy in a streamlined fashion following more research for cost-efficiency and best practices for end-of-life. Further, it is recommended that there be a continual emphasis on reusable options rather than single-use, spearheaded by provincial and federal policies. These recommendations, accompanying the policies governments are currently undertaking, will lower plastic consumption, creating a more reliable circular economy.
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