A shoal of striped mackerel filter feed as plastic waste floats by off the coast of Bali, Indonesia. Bertolt Jensen/UnsplashArticle contentI saw a heated discussion on X the other day about an issue I figured we’d collectively moved on from some time ago.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentBoy, was I mistaken.Article contentArticle contentOn Aug. 7, @BrettKissel posted this message: “Bring plastic bags back. And plastic straws everywhere. Effective immediately. Paper straws suck. And carrying groceries without a plastic bag sucks.”Article contentSingle-use plastic shopping bags started to be phased out in Canada in 2022 and plastic straws in 2023 — although exceptions on the latter remain for people who need flexible plastic straws for medical or accessibility reasons.Article contentI prefer reusable shopping bags to the plastic ones anyway. I find them roomier and more durable, and you can wash them out and reuse them.Article contentMy memories of plastic shopping bags include heavy cans bursting through, the plastic handles cutting into your hands when the bags were full, and seeing the tattered remnants of bags caught in trees like ugly bunting.Article contentAs for plastic straws, well, for the few times a year I purchase a takeout drink that comes with a straw, a paper one will do me just fine.Article contentArticle contentBring plastic bags back. And plastic straws everywhere. Effective immediately. Paper straws suck. And carrying groceries without a plastic bag sucks.— BRETT KISSEL (@BrettKissel) August 7, 2025Article contentDivided opinionArticle contentSo I didn’t know what all the fuss was about when people started responding to Kissel’s post with equal parts validation and ridicule.Article contentKissel — a country singer from Alberta — has 65,000 followers, so his posts can pack a wallop. At last look, his message calling for the return of plastics had been viewed 84,000 times.Article contentSomeone calling themselves PeterPitterPatter wrote: “1000%! Like any government intervention, it’s ineffective, far more expensive, and a pain in the ass for all concerned.”Article contentJonathan W. Hinchliffe went a little further, implying government manipulation in his reply: “It’s all about compliance nothing whatsoever to do with the environment. Making us dance to their tune like a cowboy with a six gun shooting at our feet for their own pleasure in humiliating and controlling us.”Article contentAmong those dissing Kissel’s post were @dewayna44, who wrote: “Omg, Brett. With everything going on in the world, and this is your gripe?!? FFS, Are you that friggin’ fragile that you can’t live life without plastic bags and straws? Or are you seeking likes and attention? All of the above …”Article contentArticle contentAnd Mary Willatt, who wrote: “Hey, Brett! Guess what? Generations of people before you managed to survive quite well without plastic straws and plastic grocery bags! There are a multitude of options for both reusable straws and bags…put on your big boy boxers and deal with it!”Article contentArticle contentNow, given that both U.S. President Donald Trump and Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre clearly see vowing to bring back single-use plastics as a means of tapping into a well of discontent, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that people are still talking about it. But given all we know about the harms and vast reach of plastic pollution in the environment, trying to diminish its use seems like a no-brainer.Article contentHeck, if you read wildlife biologist Holly Hogan’s excellent “Message in a Bottle,” which sends an urgent warning about the damage posed by and the insidiousness of ocean-borne plastics, you’d wonder why we hadn’t tried to reduce our reliance on plastic much, much sooner.
PAM FRAMPTON: Plastic vs. paper debate like a lightning rod in these incendiary times
