Statement from Minister Clarke on World Environment Day

Minister of Environment Nils Clarke has issued the following statement:

“Today marks World Environment Day and the Yukon joins Canada and the global community to celebrate the natural environment and to highlight our continued collaborative efforts to protect the environment for future generations.

“This year’s World Environment Day theme is finding solutions to plastic pollution. It is estimated that up to 23 million tonnes of plastic ends up in lakes, rivers and seas around the world each year, affecting more than 800 species.

“The Yukon has taken a leadership role in Canada in reducing the amount of plastic pollution in the environment by banning single-use plastic bags in 2022, followed by a single-use paper bag ban in 2023.

“Furthermore, the Yukon is currently working towards establishing an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulation within the territory. This regulation would aim to transfer the cost of recycling from recycling processors and governments to the material producers themselves. Following the example set by every province, the Yukon is taking steps to adopt this approach.

“The Yukon is home to some of Canada’s most beautiful landscapes and natural environments. Today, and every day, let’s continue to be vigilant in reducing plastic waste in our communities and across our territory."