Court of Appeals decides in support of Ottawa's classification of harmful plastics

 

In a triumph for the Liberal administration, the Federal Court of Appeal has confirmed its determination to categorize plastics as harmful, thus allowing the federal government to prohibit single-use plastic products.

This ruling presents a significant challenge to Canada's plastic sector, which had contested the federal regulations designed to combat plastic pollution.

The Federal Court's unanimous ruling indicated that a previous judge had made a mistake when they declared Ottawa's classification of plastic items as toxic to be "irrational and unconstitutional." The three justices from the appeal court asserted that that judgment was based on a flawed assumption and did not violate the authority of either provincial or territorial governments.

 

Additionally, the court concluded that the government's stance was logical since plastics could pose toxicity risks to both human health and the broader ecosystem.