WHEREAS Ontario is known around the world for its iconic, pure and pristine waters;
WHEREAS 85% of marine litter affecting beaches and waterways worldwide is made up of plastic waste material,
plastics are also littering Ontario’s beaches and waterways, polluting our ecosystems and fisheries, affecting our
health, tourism and industry;
WHEREAS throw-away single-use plastics, including foam food containers, plastic bags, cigarette butts, plastic beverage
bottles, plastic straws and stirrers, plastic packaging and wrappers, and plastic bottle caps, are by-and-large the most
frequently-polluted items found littering our beaches, rivers and waterways;
WHEREAS the amount of plastic debris that litters our shorelines has increased drastically in recent decades and efforts
thus far have failed curb pollution;
WHEREAS throw-away plastics like plastic straws, stir sticks etc. are used once then sent to landfills;
WE THE UNDERSIGNED petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to develop consumption reduction targets, establish
lifecycle obligations for producers, and ultimately implement a complete ban on consumer single-use plastics by 2024.