Ottawa’s reusable packaging initiative is kicking off 2024 on a green note. Single use plastics are pervasive in grocery stores, especially in our fruits and veggies! The pilot project being led by the Canadian not-for-profit group Circular Innovation Council will aim to reduce single-use plastics in grocery stores and other foodservice businesses.
But what does this initiative involve? Read more to find out!
How Does It Work?
Metro, Sobeys and Walmart locations in Ottawa are partnering up with Circular Innovation Council and Environment Canada to set the project in motion. Consumers will get the chance to purchase some of their food items in reusable containers provided by Vancouver-founded company Reusables.com.
Once the containers are empty, customers can return their reusable containers to any Reusables.com smart bin for washing and redistribution. Usually, the containers that Reusables.com provides are offered to customers through a membership-based program. In this new pilot project, the participating retailers own the containers they distribute instead!
This allows customers to try out the pilot project without the committing to the membership. There’s a slight catch though: customers must return their containers within a specified timeframe. On the Reusables.com website, the return timeframe is 14 days from order, though it’s not clear if this timeframe also applies to the pilot program.
Why Reusable Packaging In Grocery Stores?
People in Canada generate 2.2 million tonnes of plastic waste a year, with 900,000 tonnes coming directly from Canadian households. If you’ve taken a look at the products in your home lately, it’s safe to assume that a good portion of that waste comes from grocery stores. A report from Environmental Defence titled “Left Holding the Bag: A Survey of Plastic Packaging In Canada’s Grocery Stores”, found that on average, 71% of all produce was packaged in plastic.
The plastic isn’t just in the produce aisle–it’s everywhere. 64% of all grocery store products come in plastic of some kind, much of which isn’t recyclable. Reusable packaging helps promote a more circular economy where we continuously reuse our resources, minimizing or eliminating our waste output.
Reuse is a critical pathway to transitioning Canada to a circular economy and to eliminating single use plastics
Jo-Anne St. Godard, Executive Director of Circular Innovation Council (Source)
Compostable options have been on the rise as an alternative to single-use plastics. While these are great options in theory, in practice it’s not so simple. Yes, the materials that comprise the compostable options have natural origins–but not most waste management facilities aren’t able to properly dispose of them. For all the plastic waste that Canadians generate, we only recycle about 9% of it.
I Want to Start Using Reusable Packaging. What Can I Do?
Until Ottawa’s reusable packaging program expands to other cities, you can start implementing reusable containers in your everyday life! Try taking a reusable cup to your favourite coffee shop, or bring reusable mesh bags for your produce! In the grocery store, you could also try buying whole fruits and veggies rather than their pre-cut and packaged counterparts.
If you’re a business looking to make the switch to more eco-friendly packaging options, contact us today to learn more about how we can help! Not in need of packaging, but still want to work with us? Check out our Marketing Services to see what else we can do!
