Ottawa hosts 4,000 UN delegates amidst industry pushback

OTTAWA — Around 4,000 delegates from the United Nations visited Ottawa this week to discuss reducing plastic waste and the possibility of eliminating it. The UN started efforts to address plastic waste in 2017.

The Coalition of Concerned Manufacturers and Businesses of Canada (CCMBC) has launched an information campaign to address the ongoing problem of plastic and how it contributes to society.

“The key goal should be to keep plastics in the economy and out of the environment, not eliminate many valuable and irreplaceable plastic items. The plastics and petrochemical industries represent about 300,000 jobs and tens of billions in contribution to GDP in Canada, and are on a growth trend,” CCMBC President Catherine Swift said.

“Furthermore, Canada is not one of the problem countries with respect to plastic waste. Developing countries are the main culprits and any solution must involve helping the leading plastics polluters find workable solutions and better recycling technology and practices.”

Swift further expressed her dissatisfaction with Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault’s stand on plastic waste.

“(He) has been convinced by the superficial arguments that plastics are always bad despite the facts. He has pursued a campaign against all plastics as a result, without factoring in the reality of the immense value of plastic products and that nothing can replace their many attributes,” Swift said.

Swift further claimed that “Canada’s record on plastics is one of the best” in the world.

“This doesn’t mean the status quo is sufficient, but we must focus on practical solutions and upgrading our recycling infrastructure.”

The CCMBC was formed in 2016 with a mandate to advocate for proactive and innovative policies that are conducive to manufacturing and business retention and safeguarding job growth in Canada.