A new report from Ocean Wise suggests Canada’s single-use plastics ban is having a measurable impact on reducing certain types of waste, while also pointing to gaps in current regulations.
The organization released its annual Shoreline Cleanup Impact Report on Tuesday, drawing on data collected through shoreline cleanups across Canada and the United States.
According to the report, items covered under the federal plastics ban declined between 2022 and 2025, including a 16 per cent drop in plastic bags and a three per cent decrease in utensils per person year over year.
However, the report also found increases in other forms of waste not covered by the ban. Coffee cups and lids rose by 19 per cent, emerging as a growing source of shoreline pollution.
“The data shows what happens when policy targets specific items, and also what happens when it doesn’t,” said Jennie Moushos, interim CEO of Ocean Wise. “We’re seeing clear progress, but the rise of items like coffee cups and lids shows that the current list of banned items needs to be expanded urgently.”
The findings are based on one of Canada’s longest-running citizen science datasets. In 2025, 8,570 volunteers took part in 806 cleanups, removing more than 13,445 kilograms of waste and documenting over 345,000 pieces of litter.
Ocean Wise said the data is also being used to inform local action. In 2025, cleanup findings contributed to 14 targeted interventions across five cities, including improvements to recycling infrastructure in high-traffic areas and expanded education programs focused on microplastics.
“This report shows the power of collective action,” Moushos said. “When communities come together, we don’t just clean up our shorelines, we build the data and solutions needed to tackle plastic pollution at its source. Our progress proves that change is possible, and that together, we can go even further.”
Ocean Wise, headquartered in Vancouver, is a global conservation organization focused on addressing plastic pollution, overfishing and climate change.
The Shoreline Cleanup program, launched in 1994, has grown into one of Canada’s largest conservation initiatives, with more than 30,000 cleanups conducted and approximately 15 million items recorded over the past three decades.
More details at https://ocean.org/.
