Détermination du coût économique des déchets plastiques à usage unique au Canada

The study evaluates the financial and environmental burden of eight common single-use plastics in Canada. It finds a significant lack of consistent data across municipalities, with costs often underestimated because they are based on weight rather than the high volume these plastics occupy. The report highlights that cigarette butts are the most frequent litter item, while plastic bottles and cups generate substantial management costs. It also estimates that microplastic pollution could risk between 0.5 and 2.16 billion CAD annually in Canadian agricultural production for wheat and corn. To address these gaps, the authors developed a 'Plastic Waste Cost Calculator' tool for local authorities and recommend shifting toward volumetric waste measurement and standardized data collection.

• There is a systemic lack of consistent and detailed data on single-use plastics (SUPs) within Canadian municipal waste, recycling, and wastewater streams, largely because waste audits require resources and funding that small and medium municipalities often lack.
• Waste management costs for SUPs are likely underestimated because they are typically calculated by weight, whereas the high volume-to-weight ratio of plastics determines the actual operational burden and cost in municipal systems.
• Cigarette butts are the most frequently discarded waste item in nature across Canada; in urban areas, they account for over 95% of waste found in trash traps by count, with over 5,000 tonnes produced annually nationwide.
• Based on median sample data, if every Canadian discarded the median number of hot drink cups and plastic bottles found in the study, the annual cost for residential waste streams alone would be approximately 7 million CAD and 6.3 million CAD, respectively.
• Vaping devices and tampon applicators are significantly under-reported in municipal waste audits, yet they are frequently encountered in wastewater treatment plant screenings.
• Microplastic pollution in agricultural soils poses a substantial economic risk to Canadian farming, with estimated annual production losses for wheat and corn ranging from 0.5 to 2.16 billion CAD.
• Single-use plastics represent approximately 46% of all macroplastic debris observed in Canadian habitats by count, but only 3% of the total mass of anthropogenic debris, highlighting their high abundance but low individual weight.
• The study developed the 'Plastic Waste Cost Calculator', an Excel-based tool designed to help local authorities aggregate and visualize annual expenditures related to SUP management across residential, commercial, industrial, and wastewater sectors.

APA

Puzyreva, M., Kroft, E., & Haney, J. (2026). Détermination du coût économique des déchets plastiques à usage unique au Canada. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/economic-cost-plastic-waste-canada-fr.pdf

Chicago

Puzyreva, Marina, Emily Kroft, and Jacob Haney. Détermination du coût économique des déchets plastiques à usage unique au Canada. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2026. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/economic-cost-plastic-waste-canada-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Puzyreva |first1=Marina |last2=Kroft |first2=Emily |last3=Haney |first3=Jacob |title=Détermination du coût économique des déchets plastiques à usage unique au Canada |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=June 2026 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/economic-cost-plastic-waste-canada-fr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{puzyreva2026dtermination, author = {Puzyreva, Marina and Kroft, Emily and Haney, Jacob}, title = {{Détermination du coût économique des déchets plastiques à usage unique au Canada}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2026-06/economic-cost-plastic-waste-canada-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }