Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry are facing backlash after being spotted drinking from plastic cups during an outing at the Coachella music festival, despite the former Canadian prime minister’s past push to restrict single-use plastics.
The couple have been romantically linked since mid-2025 and attended the first weekend of the California festival, with Perry sharing images and videos on Instagram showing them spending time together among the crowds.
Photos posted by Perry showed the couple walking hand in hand through the festival grounds, as well as sitting between performances eating snacks. In several clips, both were seen holding red plastic cups while watching performances, including one taken during Justin Bieber’s headline set.
The images went viral on X, where some users accused Trudeau of hypocrisy.
During his time in office, Trudeau’s government announced a ban on certain single-use plastics in June 2019. The federal regulations came into effect in December 2022 and targeted items such as checkout bags, cutlery, stir sticks and some food-service ware. Sales restrictions were later expanded in December 2023. The policy was introduced to reduce plastic pollution and protect wildlife and oceans.
Following the Coachella images, users on X questioned why Trudeau was seen drinking from plastic cups in a public setting linked to a high-profile environmental agenda.
“And this a**hole is drinking out of a plastic cup, after banning them for the entire country,” one user wrote.
However, others defended the former prime minister, arguing that he had no control over what was served at the festival. One user said: “What’s he supposed to do in this situation? Reject the drink? They wouldn’t have any other mechanisms.”
Furthermore, it is important to note that not all plastic cups are banned under Canada’s regulations. The restrictions focus on specific types of harmful single-use plastics, including certain food-service items made from materials such as expanded polystyrene foam and PVC, while other plastic products remain legal.
