ELECTION REPORT: Poilievre Vows to Bring Back Plastic Straws, Scrap Single-Use Plastics Ban

Ottawa — April 21, 2025 — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has pledged to overturn Canada’s single-use plastics restrictions if elected, vowing to bring back plastic straws, disposable grocery bags, and other banned items in what he calls a push for “common-sense environmental policy.”

“Under a Poilievre government, Canadians will get their freedoms back including the freedom to choose a plastic straw without government interference,” the Conservative leader said at a campaign stop Monday. “We’ll scrap Trudeau’s nanny-state plastics ban and stop punishing people for living normal lives.”

The comments refer to a controversial ban introduced by the Liberal government in 2022 as part of its broader goal to eliminate plastic waste by 2030. Items such as plastic straws, cutlery, stir sticks, and grocery bags were targeted. The policy drew both praise from environmental advocates and criticism from industry groups and consumers.

In a major legal setback for the ban, the Federal Court ruled in November 2023 that labeling plastic items as “toxic” under environmental law was “unreasonable and unconstitutional,” effectively dismantling key elements of the policy.

Poilievre’s promise taps into that ruling and aims to draw a clear contrast with the Liberal government’s environmental agenda, which has been a lightning rod in this election cycle.

While environmental groups warn that rolling back the ban would increase plastic pollution and hurt Canada’s global green reputation, Poilievre’s camp argues that innovation not government overreach is the real path to sustainability.

With climate policy shaping up to be a defining issue in the upcoming election, Poilievre’s pro-plastics stance is likely to energize his base while intensifying the environmental debate on the campaign trail.