One month after Canada announced its decision to ban plastics, the government of Canada announced that it is committing $28.8 million to Domtar Inc., a fibre innovator that is working on a new material to replace single-use plastic.
The company will use the funds to work on its Stealth Fiber Technology. The project aims to produce strong, durable paper that could replace single-use plastics like food wrap and medical packaging.
The funding will go towards a $57.5-million project that aims to provide new equipment and apply new processes at a pulp and specialty paper mill in Espanola, Ontario.
The announcement will also allow for more research and development. The company noted that it’ll look to come up with a diversity and gender equity plan to work with women and Indigenous communities.
Innovations like that are needed if Canada is going to ban single-use plastics as early as 2021 successfully.
Less than 10 percent of the plastic used in the country gets recycled, and Canada sees more than three million tonnes of plastic waste thrown away annually. Up to 15 billion plastic bags are used every year, and 57 million straws are used every single day in Canada.
If Domtar’s paper alternative is proven to be effective, then it could act as the “new single-use plastic” by 2021.
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