G/TBT/N/CAN/706  
11 October 2023  
(23-6822) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English, French  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  CANADA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):  
Government of British Columbia  
2. Agency responsible:   
British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the n otification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy  
Government of British Columbia  
Mailing Address: PO Box 9341  
STN PROV GOVT  
Victoria (British Columbia) V8W 9M1  
Canada  
Tel: +1 250 896 -9807 
Fax: + 1  250 356 -7197 
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], 3.2 [  ], 7.2 [  ], 
other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Refuse 
sacks and bags, of polymers of ethylene (HS Code 3923219010); Sacks and bags, 
including cones, of polymers of ethylene (HS Code 3923299090); Sacks and bags, 
including cones, of plastics (HS Code 3923299000); Utensils, kitchenware, of pl astics (HS 
Code 3924100091); Disposable tumblers & cups of plastics (HS Code 3924100093); 
Other disposable tableware, of plastics; and (HS Code 3924100094); Kitchenware, of 
plastics (HS Code 3924100099).; Sacks and bags, incl. cones, of polymers of ethylen e 
(HS 392321); Sacks and bags, incl. cones, of plastics (excl. those of polymers of ethylene) 
(HS 392329); Tableware and kitchenware, of plastics (HS 392410)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Single -Use and 
Plastic Waste Prevention Regulation (8 pages, in English only)  
6. Description of content:  The Single -Use and Plastic Waste Prevention Regulation (the 
Regulation)  
1. Prohibits:  
• single -use plastic shopping bags including those made from compostable and 
biodegrada ble plastics.  
• food service providers from using foodservice packaging (e.g., containers, cartons, egg 
cartons, cups, plates, bowls, trays, meat trays and film wrap) made from compostable G/TBT/N/CAN/706  
 
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  plastics, biodegradable plastics polystyrene foam, PVC (polyvinylch loride) and PVDC 
(polyvinylidene chloride) to package prepared food and beverages for sale in B.C.  
• businesses from selling, distributing or using foodservice packaging (e.g., containers, 
cartons, egg cartons, cups, plates, bowls, trays, meat trays and fi lm wrap) made from 
biodegradable plastics, polystyrene foam, PVC (polyvinylchloride) and PVDC 
(polyvinylidene chloride) to package food and beverages for sale in B.C.  
• single -use plastic utensils (e.g., cutlery, chopsticks and stir sticks) including those  made 
from compostable and biodegradable plastics.  
• pre -packaged bundles of foodservice accessories (including napkins and single -serve 
condiments).  
• all packaging and single -use products made from oxo -degradable plastics.  
2. requires minimum charges for  alternatives to single -use plastic shopping bags (i.e., 
single -use paper shopping bags and reusable bags). Businesses are also be required to 
enable a no -fee option (e.g., facilitating the use of reusable bags or reuse of an existing 
bag or cardboard box) . 
3. requires single -use foodservice accessories (e.g., wooden utensils, drinking straws, 
napkins, wet wipes, single -serve condiments) to be made available only by -request/opt -
in (i.e., a customer must either ask for or be offered an item) including throug h 
online/remote food order delivery platforms. Self service stations are also permitted.  
4. includes, exemptions for reasons of accessibility, affordability, or if no suitable 
alternative is available.  
Manufacture and import for the purposes of the above for export would not be subject to 
the prohibition. Shopping bags have reusable substitutes so the Regulation identifies 
performance standards to differentiate between single -use and reusable shopping ba gs. 
The prohibitions on sale and distribution of shopping bags, foodservice accessories, 
foodservice ware (except for polystyrene foam trays used for meat, poultry and fish) will 
come into force 6 months after the regulation's publication. The prohibition on the 
distribution and sale of polystyrene foam trays used for meat, poultry and fish would 
come into force on July 1, 2030 seven years after the regulations are published.  
The Province's approach is informed by the pollution prevention hierarchy to addre ss the 
most problematic single -use items in British Columbia. The Regulation aims to reduce the 
impacts of single -use and plastic items, and the amount of single -use and plastic waste 
found in the environment, by moving plastics into B.C.'s circular econom y by phasing out 
unnecessary single -use and plastic items; promoting a shift to durable reusable options; 
and, ensuring necessary single -use and plastic items can be recycled or composted.  
The identified categories of single -use plastic items subject to th e Regulation are 
commonly found on Canadian shorelines and in terrestrial litter clean -ups. A range of 
evidence sources, including peer -reviewed studies, show that the items, when littered, 
likely pose a threat of harm to wildlife through entanglement, ing estion or habitat 
disruption. The Province estimates that the Regulation would prevent, for example, the 
use of ~192M single -use bags per year.  
The identified categories of single -use plastic items also present barriers to fostering a 
circular economy in B .C. that would keep plastics in the economy and out of the 
environment because they have low recycling rates, are known to hamper recycling or 
wastewater treatment systems, and have barriers to increasing recycling rates. 
Eliminating these products from th e B.C. market would remove key irritants from value 
recovery systems and improve their efficiency.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:   
The objective of the Regulation is to prevent single -use and plastic pollution by eliminating 
or restricting the sale and distribution of oxo -degradable plastic and three categories of 
single -use plastic items in British Columbia that pose a threat to the environment, are 
hard to recycle, and have readily available alternat ives. G/TBT/N/CAN/706  
 
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  A Science Assessment of Plastic Pollution prepared by the Government of Canada and 
published in 2020 found that macroplastics in the environment pose a threat of harm to 
wildlife and their habitat, and recommended action to reduce macroplastics that end up 
in the environment. Further, oxo -degradable plastics (including oxo -biodegradable and 
plastics with oxo -degradable additives) contain additives that intentionally lead to 
fragmentation of the plastics into microplastics that further contaminate the environment. 
Research indicates that they are not suitable for composting or anaerobic digestion 
processing, do not breakdown in landfills or if littered in marine environments, and are 
not suitable for recycling. In addition, there are potential toxic eff ects on soils from the 
residual additives.   
Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents:   
9. Proposed date of adoption:  14 July 2023  
Proposed date of entry into force:  20 December 2023; (with a transition period with 
respect to the prohibition on polystyrene foam trays used to contain meat, poultry and 
fish requiring further preparation delayed until 1 July 2030).  
10. Final date for comments:  Not Applicable  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
The electronic version of the regulatory text is available in English only at:  
https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/oic/oic_cur/0461_2023