Plastic really is all around us: it covers the food you eat, holds our liquid products, and is used in many different household items, like brooms, pens, or garbage bags.
You might not realize it, but you are using and throwing away plastic every single day! In fact, Canadians throw away over 3 million tonnes of plastic waste every year.
Taking a look at where you and your household use plastic in your daily lives can make it easier to find solutions and make a plan to reduce your plastic consumption.
About one third of the plastic waste in Canada comes from single-use or short-lived products and packaging.
What Types Of Industries Generate Waste?
Source: Plastic Pollution by Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser
LET’S REFLECT…
Use the data story to reflect on the following questions:
- General: Look at the items around you right now. Which items came in plastic packaging?
- Community: Next time you’re in a store, note all the plastic packaging you see. What do you think its purpose is?
- Ethical: Why do companies continue to use plastic packaging and sell single-use plastic products if they know it’s bad for our planet?