Mr. Speaker, I am challenging you, people in our communities, and people across our country to take the plastics challenge in July.
It is estimated that as much as eight million tonnes of plastic ends up in our oceans each year.
This year, we banned microbeads, and Canada championed and endorsed a plastics charter at the G7 summit, but there is a personal element to the solution, too. Knowing that only about 10% of plastics get recycled in Canada, we need to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
On my website and Facebook page, there is a plastic-free July challenge sign-up. I invite people and businesses in my community and across the country to either sign up or start their own plastic-free July challenge.
This July, use a reusable shopping bag, refuse the plastic straw, or use a reusable bottle. Together, we can end plastics pollution.