Montreal seeking to ban many single-use plastics, several pesticides

MONTREAL -

The City of Montreal is seeking to ban many single-use plastics as of March 2023 and and several pesticides by Jan. 1, 2022.

The banned pesticides include insecticides chlorpyrifos and certain neonicotinoids, as well as the herbicide glyphosate.

"The harmful effects of pesticides on health are increasingly documented," said Mayor Valerie Plante. "Doctors and scientists have sounded the alarm about their impact on humans and the environment, and it is imperative to act."

Montreal is the first municipality in Canada to propose a complete ban the use of these pesticides for domestic use. The bylaw would ban about 100 domestic-use pesticides in agriculture, ornamental horticulture and extermination.

The new law would also require commercial enterprises to apply for an annual permit to use pesticides or face a $4,000 fine.

"By banning the use of the most toxic pesticides for health and the most harmful for biodiversity, such as glyphosate and neonicotinoids, we are protecting the health of the Montreal population, the environment and maintaining the balance of biodiversity," said Montreal councillor Laurence Lavigne Lalonde.

The extent to which pesticides are harmful to humans has long been up for debate, however. Glyphosate, for example, was deemed dangerous for human consumption by one study from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, but other studies have since disputed this claim. 

Many experts believe that glyphosate is safe for human consumption, so long as it is used according to label instructions — which consumers may not always do.  

"The inconvenient truth about glyphosate is that it’s not poison, unless used irresponsibly, of course," said agriculture experts Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and Dr. Stuart Smyth in an CTV opinions article.

PLASTIC BAN

Under the mayor's plan, plastic straws will still be sold in stores but no longer available in restaurants. Plastic utensils, along with some types of drinking glasses and food containers, are also set to be banned under the plan.

Other single-use plastic items sold in stores will not be affected, including bags for fruits and vegetables.

Businesses that don't respect the bylaw could face fines between $400 and $4,000.