Page 32 - Plastics News April 2022

the migration to fully sustainable food
and produce packaging in Canada. “The Thai National Parks
benefits are beyond environmental sus- Ban Single-Use Plastics

tainability and include the development
of a new packaging circular economy, hailand has banned styrofoam
leveraging composting systems across Tpackaging and single-use plas-
Canada, and enhancing industry align- tics from national parks as it fights a
ment with leading sustainable packaging scourge of waste threatening wildlife.
aging design and material options with in food and produce.” The investment Waters off the coast of Thailand are
improved recyclability or composability. is provided through the C$50.3m Ca- choked with pollution and the coro-
This project will involve a range of ma- nadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities navirus pandemic has brought a surge
jor stakeholders, including manufactur- Programme (CASPP), which aims to in plastic waste as demand for takea-
ers, packaging producers, retailers and help Canada’s agricultural sector adapt way food grows. The Thai Depart-
recycling facilities. It aims to enable the and remain competitive over the next ment of National Parks, Wildlife and
industry to understand Canada’s food five years. Earlier this month, the Cir- Plant Conservation said the ban was
and produce packaging system, study cular Plastics Taskforce (CPT) secured necessary to protect ecology. Offend-
the effects of various packaging options more than C$500,000 in financial as- ers can be fined up to 100,000 baht
and accordingly create a deployment sistance from the Canadian govern- ($3,000) if caught travelling into the
plan. CPMA president Ron Lemaire ment’s Ministry of Economy and In- parks with single-use plastic items
said: “Plastic packaging is a major ena- novation (MEI). The CPT will use the or styrofoam containers. The new
bler of affordable, safe and high-quality funding to resume its current recycling regulations came into force Wednes-
foods in Canada. “This project looks to project. Founded in 2020, the organi- day after they were published in the
promote systems thinking and innova- sation consists of several major food, Royal Gazette a day earlier. The ban
tion that will help shape food and pro- beverage and packaging companies. includes "carry plastic bags which
duce packaging pathways that enable are less than 36 microns, plastic food
containers, cups, straws, and cutlery",
the announcement said. Greenpeace
Abu Dhabi To Ban Single-Use Plastic Bags From June 1 Thailand says plastic waste is a threat
to the country's wildlife including
its elephant population. Digesting
out single-use styrofoam cups, plates plastic can block animals' intestines
and food containers by 2024, Abu and disrupt the digestive system. El-
Dhabi Government Media Office said. ephants in Khao Yai National Park—
The latest announcement was based on three hours northeast of Bangkok—
its integrated single-use plastic policy have reportedly eaten packaging, and
introduced in 2020, which was devel- plastic bags have been found in their
oped to promote a healthy environment faeces. Plastic pollution on land can
and combat climate change by reducing also wash into waterways and threat-
resource consumption and associated en river ecology and marine life.
bu Dhabi will ban single-use plastic pollution, a statement said. Since the Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines,
Abags, effective June 1, 2022, the En- policy launch, the agency has coordi- China and Vietnam together produce
vironment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) nated with strategic partners concerned half of the plastic waste in the world's
has said. The agency plans to gradually with implementing the policy, especially oceans, according to campaign group
reduce the amount of single-use plastic plastics producers and retailers. In sup- the Ocean Conservancy. Thailand
products consumed across the emir- port of this drive, a large-scale awareness outlawed the sale of single-use plastic
ate. It plans to implement measures to campaign will be carried out across the bags at supermarkets and department
reduce demand for about 16 single-use emirate to educate the public on the stores in 2020, but they are still hand-
plastic products that include cups, stir- new procedures. Dr. Shaikha Salem Al ed out by street food vendors, cafes,
rers, lids and cutlery. It will also phase Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD, markets and smaller retailers.

32 PLASTICS NEWS April 2022