National plastic pollution strategy coming, just not yet

Canada's environment and climate change minister says they're working on a national strategy to tackle plastic pollution, but it's not expected imminently.

Catherine McKenna told The House plastic in the ocean is a "huge challenge," which is why they decided to make it part of Canada's G7 agenda.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants the other leaders to sign on to a zero-waste plastics charter, setting international deadlines for eliminating plastic waste and committing to helping the developing world meet similar deadlines.

McKenna added the federal government is committed to implement a Canadian action plan at home, even if it's not ready yet.

"We know that we can be doing a lot better in terms of the plastics that we produce," she told host Chris Hall.

While places like Vancouver and the U.K. have agreed to phase out single-use plastic straws, there's no similar country-wide plan in Canada.

McKenna partially attributed that to the fact more consultations have to be done across the country.

"We need to be working with provinces and territories, but also with municipalities," she said.

The minister also said the science behind pollution needs to be investigated further, and businesses need to also up production of recyclable and biodegradable products.