How Food Packaging Waste contributes to plastic pollution
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Food packaging accounts for 33% of litter found at A Greener Future’s cleanups
When we hear the term “food waste” we think of, well, food. But, what about the plastic our groceries come so neatly packaged in? Or the plastic straws, cutlery and containers that come with our takeout meals?
In Canada, 3.3 million tonnes of plastic end up in landfills each year, with plastic packaging making up half of that total. The lifespan of plastic packaging is often incredibly short, with most packaging being thrown out in six months or less. Scientists have predicted that if things don’t change, Canada will generate an additional 450,000 tonnes of plastic packaging waste by 2030.
By our most conservative estimations, 33% of the litter we pick up at A Greener Future’s cleanups (excluding cigarette butts) is food packaging. This includes things like water bottles, grocery bags, plastic straws, cutlery and wrappers, but doesn’t include unidentifiable plastic and foam pieces, some of which certainly comes from food packaging.
A Greener Future has picked up more than 13,000 straws from the shores of Lake Ontario.
The COVID-19 pandemic is only exacerbating the problem. With new restrictions preventing consumers from bringing reusable cups and containers to restaurants, coupled with frequent lockdowns preventing indoor dining, the use of single-use plastics including takeout containers has grown by 250 to 300 percent since the beginning of the pandemic.
Takeout containers come in many different forms, and some are harder on the environment than others. Two of the most common types, black plastic food trays and polystrene (foam) containers, are both notoriously difficult to recycle.
In an effort to reduce their impact on the environment, some restaurants have shifted to using biodegradable plastic containers - but these alternatives are not as “eco-friendly” as they may sound. Biodegradable plastics require very specific moisture, heat and oxygen conditions to break down properly - conditions that our local composting facilities often cannot provide. These containers also frequently contaminate local recycling streams as they are difficult to distinguish from regular plastics. Because of these failings, biodegradable packaging is sent to landfill despite its deceiving name.
Unfortunately, with more waste comes more litter. Toronto experienced an increase in littering in its parks and beaches during the summer months of the 2020 pandemic as restaurant and bar closures drove people to socialize outside. Unsurprisingly, single-use PPE was found among the litter mid-pandemic, but the City also reported finding coffee cups, napkins and, you guessed it, food containers.
Reasons for optimism:
Plastic pollution is one of the environmental movement’s greatest challenges, but we’re at a pivotal moment in time where policy, business and product innovation are beginning to align with science. We’re now better equipped to take on the plastics crisis than ever before.
Extended Producer Responsibility
In 2020 we saw the Ontario government announce plans to transition its Blue Box recycling program to an Extended Producer Responsibility model. What this means is that producers will take responsibility for recycling the waste they create, taking the burden off local municipalities and taxpayers. It is believed that this new model will encourage innovation in packaging design, to make packaging easier and more efficient to recycle, since the companies creating the packaging will also be responsible for recycling it.
The transfer of responsibility to producers is expected to begin in January 2023, with full producer responsibility taken into effect by the end of 2025.
Canada’s ban on single-use plastics
Another reason for hope is Canada’s proposed ban on single-use plastics, which is part of a larger effort to achieve the government’s goal of achieving zero plastic waste by 2030.
The ban on single-use plastics will focus on six “problem items”, including grocery bags, straws, stir sticks, six pack rings, and food packaging made from hard to recycle plastics.
Though there is still much work to be done, this is certainly a step in the right direction to curb the amount of food packaging ending up in landfills and our environment.
The regulations for this ban are expected to be finalized by the end of 2021.
Innovation in packaging
As unsustainable models of food packaging are phased out, opportunities for innovative sustainable food packaging are endless. Some companies are opting for compostable, or even edible, packaging, while others are making packaging that is easier to recycle. Further innovations have led some to adopt refillable packaging schemes to reduce waste.
A Toronto company called Suppli hopes to make single-use takeout containers a thing of the past by using a circular economy model to takeout packaging waste. Suppli has partnered with local restaurants in Toronto to offer reusable takeout containers. Consumers can create an account with Suppli, then order from a participating restaurant to receive their meal in a reusable container. When finished, containers can be rinsed out and brought to a local drop-off point where they’ll be collected for cleaning and reuse. How cool is that? Now we can support our local restaurants without the waste!
What can you do?
Now that we’ve addressed how the industry is tackling the food packaging problem, let’s talk about what we can do as consumers.
Support your local zero waste shops & refilleries: we’ve compiled a directory of our go-to spots throughout the Lake Ontario area.
Opt for plastic free produce when you can: even if you don’t have a specialty zero waste store in your area, big box grocery stores will have plastic-free options for produce. When possible, purchase plastic-free and bring your own bags to avoid single-use grocery bags at the checkout.
Write or Tweet to your local grocery stores: Tell them that you’d like to see more plastic-free options at their store. Companies will often make changes that will make their customers happy. Even one email can make an impact!
Support your local restaurants & ask them for more sustainable packaging: Now more than ever we need to support our local restaurants. While you’re at it, why not ask them if they’ll consider transitioning to reusable packaging scheme?
Join us at a litter cleanup: As we mentioned earlier, ~33% of what we find is food packaging. We need help cleaning up our local parks and beaches to protect our water and wildlife. Follow us on Instagram for updates on our litter cleanups.