Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations (SOR/2022-138)

SPI analysis Our reading of the official source above. Not legal advice; always rely on the official text.

SPI summary

Bans manufacture, import and sale of plastic checkout bags, cutlery, certain foodservice ware, ring carriers, stir sticks and straws. Sale bans apply from 20 December 2023 (20 June 2024 for ring carriers and packaged flexible straws) and export bans from 20 December 2025. The Federal Court of Appeal upheld the toxic listing on 30 January 2026; a Supreme Court leave application is pending.

In practice

Canada's federal regulations stop the manufacture, import and sale of six categories of single-use plastic items, several of which are packaging or foodservice formats. Converters and importers supplying checkout bags, ring carriers and foodservice ware made from or containing problematic plastics have needed alternative formats since the staged deadlines of 2022 to 2024, and the export prohibition has applied since 20 December 2025. The legal basis was upheld by the Federal Court of Appeal in January 2026; a Supreme Court of Canada leave application remains undecided.

What to do and by when

1. NowCheck that no listed item, including ring carriers and juice-box straws, remains in Canadian or export supply.
2. NowMap foodservice ware lines against the definition of problematic plastics in the federal guidance.
3. When the Supreme Court of Canada decides the leave applicationReview whether the outcome changes the legal basis for the regulations or for future CEPA plastics measures.

Related rules

• PR-CA-005 B.C. Single-Use and Plastic Waste Prevention Regulation
  British Columbia's provincial regulation restricts further food service ware materials alongside the federal bans.
• PR-CA-002 Federal Plastics Registry reporting (CEPA s.46 notice)
  Also rests on the CEPA listing of plastic manufactured items; reporting rather than a ban.
• PR-EU-014 SUP Directive: ban on single-use plastic cutlery, plates, straws and EPS containers
  Comparable EU ban on single-use plastic cutlery, plates, straws and EPS containers.
• PR-GB-006 England ban on single-use plastic plates, cutlery and polystyrene food containers
  Comparable England ban on single-use plastic plates, cutlery and polystyrene containers.

Where the record is unclear

• Supreme Court of Canada docket 42277: leave application filed 31 March 2026; all materials were submitted to the judges on 14 September 2026 and no decision on leave was recorded when the docket was checked (page last modified 8 October 2026).
• The conditions under which flexible straws not packaged with beverage containers may still be sold are in separate guidance not reviewed for this note.

Sources for this note

1. Canada.ca: Single-use plastics prohibition regulations overview Consulted 13 October 2026
2. Supreme Court of Canada: case information, docket 42277 Consulted 13 October 2026
3. Federal Court of Appeal: plain language summary, 2026 FCA 17 Consulted 13 October 2026

Note written by the SPI team on 13 October 2026.

Where it sits in the tracker

• One of 6 packaging rules we track in Canada, of which 2 are ban rules.
• In all, 17 ban rules are tracked across 11 jurisdictions. Compare them below

Company profiles that map to this rule

Companies whose SPI profile lists this rule in its regulatory exposure, based on where they report selling. Not company-reported.

• McDonald's
• Starbucks
• Walmart