Justin Trudeau is banning plastic straws in Canada.
“We promised to ban harmful single-use plastics, and we’re keeping that promise,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter.
“The ban on the making and importing of plastic bags, cutlery, straws and other items comes into effect in December 2022 — and selling these items is prohibited as of December 2023,” he added.
According to a press release, the ban extends to plastic checkout bags, cutlery, stir sticks, and straws with “some exceptions.” Trudeau claims that this new provision will “result in the estimated elimination of over 1.3 million tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastic waste.”
Per the release, the Canadian government views this new measure as “an important contribution to Canada’s ongoing comprehensive agenda to address plastic waste and pollution.” It also goes on to boast about how this new ban on plastics will position Canada among world leaders in fighting against plastic pollution.
“By the end of the year, you won’t be able to manufacture or import these harmful plastics,” Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault said. “After that, businesses will begin offering the sustainable solutions Canadians want, whether that’s paper straws or reusable bags. With these new regulations, we’re taking a historic step forward in reducing plastic pollution, and keeping our communities and the places we love clean.”
Prominent conservative voices like Tucker Carlson have been routinely critical of the Canadian prime minister’s autocratic streak – especially in recent months. For example, the Fox News primetime host blasted Trudeau for using the tragic massacre in Uvalde, Texas, as an excuse to push new gun laws in Canada on law-abiding citizens.
Carlson was referring to the latest “national freeze” on the buying, selling, transferring, or importing of handguns introduced by Trudeau on May 30.
As the Prime Minister put it, these new gun control measures will “protect communities.” Even though it is not clear how exactly that would work.
Podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan also recently said that he is “disgusted” by Trudeau for saying Canadians do not have the right to use guns for self-defense. Rogan was referencing the prime minister’s appearance on Pod Save the World where he said citizens were only able to obtain guns for sports shooting and hunting. Then he stated that those who wanted a gun for “self-protection” were not allowed to own one for that purpose.
As Ben Shapiro has shared in the past over similar crack-downs on plastics, these measures do very little to better the world compared to the more pressing issues facing major cities like San Fransico like crime and management of human waste.
So while the world struggles against rising inflation and sky-rocketing consumer costs across virtually all industries, it’s nice to know that Western leaders like Trudeau are attacking only the most important issues like plastic straws.