The Plastics Problem
Light, durable, and cheap to produce, plastic has become the go-to material for single-use packaging. Open any drawer or cabinet in your home and you’ll find plastic encasing just about everything: spices, takeout meals, salad dressing, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, makeup, deodorant, the list goes on.
When a product is depleted, consumers throw out the packaging, often without a second thought. In fact, Canadians throw away about three million tonnes of plastic waste every year — 47 percent of which is plastic packaging.
The problem is that plastic can take hundreds of years to degrade — and it can only happen under the right conditions. Even before then, plastic will often break down into smaller and smaller pieces, until they become microplastics (pieces of plastic that are less than or equal to 5 mm), which can contaminate our air, water, and soil. While the long-term effects of microplastics on human health are unclear, marine animal research suggests that higher concentrations of plastics in the digestive and respiratory systems can lead to early death.
To combat plastic pollution, the Canadian government unveiled its “Zero Plastic Waste” strategy in 2018. This strategy included classifying plastic as a “Toxic Substance” under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and proposing a ban on specific single-use plastics. The ban intends to remove plastic checkout bags, straws, stir sticks, six-pack rings, cutlery, and food containers made from hard-to-recycle plastics from the marketplace.
PLASTIC BY THE NUMBERS
47%
of plastic waste in Canada is packaging
77%
of plastic packaging is sent to landfill
22%
of plastic packaging is sent for recycling
01%
of all plastic waste ends up in the environment
While this ban has yet to come into force, it has opened the doors to plastic alternatives, such as bio-based plastics derived from plants (e.g., corn, sugar, starch) and compostable packaging (e.g., paper, bamboo). While they may biodegrade in the right conditions, the benefits of these alternatives are not widely agreed upon in the environmental community. They will not reduce waste creation and may lead to more “wishful recycling,” where consumers contaminate the waste stream by dropping items that they believe are recyclable into the blue bin.
Unfortunately, recycling only happens in a “best case” scenario. Recycling is expensive and often, local recycling centres can only process specific types of plastic, which often don’t include bio-plastics (an assumption consumers can easily make). In addition, most recycling cebtres can only process “clean, high-value materials” that are free from contaminants such as food stains or multi-material packaging. If contaminants are discovered, it can force a recycling centre to reject a load of plastic and redirect it back to landfills.
It's wasteful to have it all end up in the trash, especially considering the resources, labour and money that go into producing packaging. Through reuse-refill systems, we can maximize the value of the products we create and invest in new opportunities that’ll help Canadians move towards a greener future.
What is Reuse-Refill?
Reuse-refill systems are integral to a well-functioning circular economy. In this system, a container can be washed and refilled multiple times to meet a consumer’s needs — all without having to produce a new container.
Reuse-refill models can also maximize the value of an object. While the cost to produce one reusable mug may be higher than a disposable coffee cup, the cost-per-use decreases dramatically with every use. As such, coffee shops could see thousands of dollars in savings by switching from single-use cups to reusable ones — even with the additional labour, electricity and water costs needed to continually clean the mugs.
In contrast, the current market moves materials in a linear direction that starts with raw materials and ends in waste, putting a strain on our environment and natural resources. Government entities, businesses, and consumers can lessen this pressure by working together to implement major changes that support the reintroduction of reuse-refill systems.
Check this out
Discover the four Reuse models in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s “Reuse: Rethinking Packaging.”
Reuse-Refill in Canada
Canada has a long history with reuse-refill systems. In fact, some of the products we come across on daily basis were once part of reuse-refill systems but have since moved to single-use packaging. Soft drinks were one of those products.
Up until the mid-1960s, soft drinks were exclusively sold in glass bottles. Major soft drink producers (Coca-Cola and Pepsi) relied on regional franchise bottlers to produce soft drinks using concentrates provided by the producers, bottle the resulting beverage, and distribute them to retailers. These franchisees were also responsible for recovering, cleaning, and inspecting them for reuse. They maintained this reuse-refill system for a practical reason: bottles were costly to produce and as a result, reusing bottles were a way to cut costs. That all changed when metal cans and plastic bottles entered the market.
Did you know?
Until 2008, all carbonated-flavoured beverages could only be sold only in refillable containers on Prince Edward Island.
In contrast, refillable bottles held over 80 percent of the Canadian alcohol market during the same time period. This was a result of provincial governments implementing policies that supported reuse-refill activities and protected local brewers from American brewers looking to dominate the Canadian market. One of these policies, for example, was an environmental tax on domestic and imported non-refillable beer cans. American brewers were suddenly put in a disadvantage as an overwhelming bulk of American beer was packaged in cans — Canadian brewers, on the other hand, used refillable glass bottles.
Today, refillable beer bottles make up 37 percent of the current market. While glass bottles may not be as popular, there’s no doubt that the reuse-refill policies government enacted helped to slow down its decline.
The Economic Advantage of Reuse-Refill
Investing in reuse-refill systems can benefit both the environment and our economy. Here are some ways reuse-refill can boost businesses:
CUT COSTS
Reuse-refill systems can optimize operations by sharing standard refillable packaging across networks and cut costs with concentrates and bulk goods.
CULTIVATE BRAND LOYALTY
Encourage returns by implementing reward systems which can also help businesses learn more about their users’ preferences and habits.
IMPROVE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Investing in well-designed, sturdier packaging can improve a customer’s overall experience and, coupled with smart packaging, help track a product’s life cycle.
OFFER CUSTOMIZATION
Create opportunities where customers can make purchases tailored to their lifestyles. They can mix and match products, personalize their own packaging, and choose quantities they actually need.
While there are many benefits, we recognize there are barriers that would keep the marketing from implementing and supporting reuse-refill systems. By working together, we can discover ways to overcome these challenges and make reuse-refill more accessible to everyone.
References
Baechler, N. (2018, 02 12). 'Wishful Recycling': More Harm Than Good. Retrieved from University of Washington: https://smea.uw.edu/currents/wishful-recycling-more-harm-than-good/
Canada Plastics Pact. (2021). Foundational Research and Study: Canadian Plastic Packaging Flows.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. (2008). Islanders pop tabs as P.E.I.'s 'can ban' ends. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/islanders-pop-tabs-as-p-e-i-s-can-ban-ends-1.752462.
Ellen Macarthur Foundation. (2019). Reuse: Rethinking Packaging. Retrieved from Ellen Macarthur Foundation: https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/reuse-rethinking-packaging
Ellen MacArthur Foundation and UN Environment Programme . (2021). Announcement of revision of the minimum requirements of the Global Commitment: Introducing a plastic and/or virgin plastic reduction target for packaging.
Environment and Climate Change Canada. (2020, 10 7). Canada one-step closer to zero plastic waste by 2030 . Retrieved from Government of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2020/10/canada-one-step-closer-to-zero-plastic-waste-by-2030.html
Ryan, L. (1992, May 25). Ontario's Can Tax Angers Aluminum, Beer Industries. Retrieved from The Journal of Commerce Online: https://www.joc.com/ontarios-can-tax-angers-aluminum-beer-industries_19920525.html
World Wildlife Foundation. (2019). No Plastic in Nature: Assessing Plastic Ingestion from Nature to People. Retrieved from World Wildlife Foundation: https://wwfint.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/plastic_ingestion_web_spreads_1.