Single-Use Plastics Ban May be a Win, Says Huntsville Eco Store Owner

The ban represents a shift of responsibility for packaging garbage, from the end user to the producer.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The owners of Sustain Eco Store in Huntsville have been ahead of the curve on providing environmentally conscious products to customers.

“When founders Jonathan and Celine MacKay began learning about the toxins in their home environment, it created an insatiable desire to not just know more, but also find solutions,” according to their website. This was the driving force behind creating the store.

So, how do they feel about the new single-use plastics ban?

“Of course we support the banning of any single-use plastic products. This appears on its face to be a win, and indeed it could possibly be, so long as the allowable alternatives are not worse, which would make the ban short-sighted,” said Jonathan. “Education, and pressure on large retailers to make responsible choices for alternatives will be key to a successful campaign to reduce plastic waste.”

They also see a role for local municipalities.

“At the town and district level, are we able to identify and ban the alternatives that are not recyclable under our current capabilities? A big shift such as this provides great opportunity to design new materials with reuse built right in, such as circular design principles, which ensure that materials are easily recaptured, remade, and resold.”

The ban represents a shift of responsibility for packaging garbage, from the end user to the producer.

“It is necessary to see the pressure taken off of solely consumers to make better choices, and onto producers to design better systems. In short, we believe this to be a positive step forward but further creative thinking is required by all to truly turn the tides on plastic waste,” said Jonathan.

Greener alternatives to the typical takeout containers, cutlery, and other single-use plastic items are appearing in the food service industry as Canada adjusts to phases of a federal law that aims to eventually remove many single-use plastics from the market.

The first phase became effective on Dec. 20, prohibiting the manufacture and import for sale of six single-use plastics. This included checkout bags, cutlery, food service ware made from, or containing, problematic plastics that are hard to recycle, stir sticks, and straws, with the exception to accommodate people who need them.

“The six single-use plastic items being prohibited were selected because they are commonly found in the environment, are harmful to wildlife and wildlife habitat, are difficult to recycle, and have readily available alternatives,” read the Government of Canada’s backgrounder on the matter.

Plastic ring carriers will follow and be banned for manufacture and import in June. Over the next 10 years, the ban will result in the estimated elimination of over 1.3 million tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastic waste and more than 22,000 tonnes of plastic pollution, which equals over one million full garbage bags.

The government assured continued work with provinces, territories, and industry to set an ambitious collection target of 90 per cent for recycling plastic beverage bottles.

Regulations to require that certain plastic packaging contain at least 50 per cent recycled content and to establish clear rules for labelling recyclable and compostable plastics are in development. The government is also working to develop a plastic registry to hold plastic producers accountable for their plastic waste.

“The world must act urgently and concretely to tackle plastic pollution and Canada will continue to be a strong contributor to this effort,” read the government’s release on Dec. 17. “Canada continues to work with countries and stakeholders across the world to develop a legally-binding treaty to end plastic pollution.”

 Courtesy: www.muskokaregion.com