Government policy needed to move away from plastics: Newmarket grocer

'The industry is moving at a snail’s pace'

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 17, 2019
Teresa Latchford

Local businesses are already transitioning to plastic alternatives but one business owner believes that the government needs to set policy for the movement to grow.

Vince’s Market partner Giancarlo Trimarchi has implemented a number of changes in the business’ five stores, including replacing plastic bags with compostable bags, a fill-your-own-bottle olive oil station, BPA-free receipts, compostable salad bar containers, and exploring food wrap made of banana leaves and compostable cutlery.

“I’ve been trying to find plastic alternatives for 17 years and the industry is moving at a snail’s pace,” he said. “It’s been tough but we are trying to be as proactive as we can.”

A major shift in policy will be needed in order for grocers and other businesses to continue to make change, he added. For example, food packaging regulations require meat products to be packaged in a way that nothing can contaminate it. Those rules would have to be reviewed or the grocer who changes packaging would be non-compliant and fined.

Another factor is the cost of plastic alternatives. For many businesses, there must be a rise in demand for alternative products so that a significant price increase isn’t passed onto customers.

The third barrier will be public education, Trimarchi said. Consumers will have to understand that compostable products won’t be broken down unless put in the compost and biodegradable products have to be processed or they won’t degrade. This means governments will have to ensure facilities have the capability to process these alternatives.

“The governments have scared the crap out of the industry with these plastic ban announcements and have yet to define or release a detailed plan on how it will work,” he said.

A recent paper released by the province states almost 10,000 tons of plastic debris enter the Great Lakes annually and more than 80 per cent of litter collected during volunteer cleanups is plastic. The provincial blue box program only recovered 28 per cent of all plastic packaging generated in 2017, with the remaining going to landfills or becoming litter. Much of that is straws, cutlery, takeout containers and shopping bags.

Both the provincial and federal governments have made commitments to ban single-use plastics as early as 2021 under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and Bill 82, Single-Use Plastics Ban Act, 2019, which recently passed first reading in the Ontario legislature.

With all levels of government moving to ban single-use plastic products within the waste stream, Newmarket is no exception.

Ward 1 Coun. Grace Simon put forward a motion earlier this year that resulted in town staff being directed to explore the logistics of implementing a plastic ban in the municipality.

“It is going to take time to investigate what kinds of policies we can enact,” she said. “We all know it’s the right thing to do but we need to figure out how to do it.”

Town staff is currently researching the matter and will report back to council in the future.

For consumers, it can be overwhelming to think about the amount of plastic used in just one day. But one change at a time can help a household significantly reduce plastic use. Here’s where to start:

Plastic bags -- Use reusable bags when shopping. For groceries, bring reusable produce bags to avoid using the plastic ones on the rolls at grocery stores. These produce bags can be purchased in sets, or can be upcycled using old pillowcases or T-shirts.

Containers -- If possible, opt to buy bulk foods like spices, pasta and cereal and bring reusable containers with you to fill up. Bring your own container for leftovers when eating at a restaurant.

Straws and cutlery -- Bring reusable straws and a set of cutlery with you if you plan to eat out. Reusable sets can be purchased, but you can also bring cutlery from home. While ordering, inform waiters or take out servers that you wish to use your own straw or reusable cutlery.

Beverages -- Use a reusable water bottle and bring a takeout mug to your coffee shop.

Lunch -- Use reusable containers, bags and wraps to pack your lunch.

Buy fresh -- Try to purchase fresh food as much as possible since frozen food is often wrapped in plastic.

Cleaning -- Make your own cleaning solutions in glass bottles (or reuse the old cleaning bottles you already have) to avoid plastic containers. Some stores offer bulk cleaning products if you would prefer to not make your own.