Canada’s Supreme Court to Hear Final Appeal on Federal Single-Use Plastics Ban

Canada’s highest court has agreed to review a ongoing legal challenge against the federal government’s nationwide ban on single-use plastics. The Supreme Court of Canada confirmed Thursday that it will hear an appeal regarding Ottawa's environmental classification and restriction of specific plastic items.

The legal battle stems from a 2022 federal policy that prohibited the production and sale of six common plastic products, including disposable cutlery, straws, stir sticks, takeout packaging, and six-pack ring carriers.

To enact the measure, Ottawa designated "plastic manufactured items" as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, pointing to research showing these items frequently end up as environmental litter despite existing alternatives.

That toxic label sparked immediate pushback from a coalition of Canadian plastic industry representatives and chemical manufacturers, who argued the federal government's broad classification lacked proper scientific backing for every type of plastic covered.

While a Federal Court initially agreed with the industry in 2023 ruling the toxic designation overly broad the Federal Court of Appeal overturned that decision this past January, upholding the ban and finding the government's two-step regulatory process both reasonable and valid.

With the Supreme Court now set to weigh in, the upcoming hearing will mark a critical final test for federal environmental jurisdiction and the future of plastic regulations across the country.