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The federal government announced a list today of single-use plastics, including plastic bags, straws, and utensils, that will be banned in 2021.

The government took into consideration plastics that are harmful to the environment, hard to recycle, and if there were alternatives available when creating the list.

The list of single-use plastics that are going to be banned includes:

  • Hard to recycle plastic food takeout containers
  • Grocery bags
  • Plastic utensils
  • Six-pack rings
  • Stir sticks
  • Straws

Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says many of the items that aren't on the list so far, such as plastic bottles, will be getting new standards to require them to contain a minimum amount of recycled material.

The ban comes from a report that said 29,000 tonnes of plastic garbage ended up as litter in Canada in 2016.