Fewer and fewer Canadians are opting for single-use plastic products, a recent Statistics Canada study found.

The Households and the Environment Survey (HES) for the year 2021 was conducted among 38,000 households in the country. The Survey highlights the use of single-use straws and reusable bags. The use of reusable cups and water bottles was also studied during the survey.

In total, 86% of the households consulted declared that they drink hot drinks outside the home. However, Quebec stands out from other Canadian provinces when it comes to the use of reusable cups and cups.

“While households in Quebec were the least likely to have one or more members who drank hot beverages outside the home, they were the most likely to have always or often used their own mug or cup (52% ).»

One in five Canadian households uses plastic straws and almost half of them (52%) use one or two per week. In 2019, the EME revealed that 23% of households in the country used plastic straws. This is a slight decrease.

"Nine out of ten Canadian households had at least one member who used their own water bottle, and 85% of those households always or often did so," Statistics Canada said of the past year.

As more and more businesses begin to ban single-use plastic bags, 97% of Canadian households said they sometimes use their own bags or containers when shopping at the grocery store. More than half (51%) said they always use their bags. This percentage is 8% higher than three years ago.

When it comes to e-waste in Canada, a growing proportion of households are choosing to repair, sell or give away unwanted cell phones. As an indication, when a cell phone has reached the end of its service, 6% of households have repaired or sold their device, compared to 1% in 2011.

Households located in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut were not surveyed.