Recycling Sustainable Plastics
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Packaging generates the most plastic waste of any sector.
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Brands are investing in new ways to package their products.
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Alternatives to plastic include laser-etching vegetables and engineered cardboard.
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There’s also a growing emphasis on how containers can be reused and recycled.
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Packaging is responsible for an extraordinarily high proportion of waste, which all too often ends up in the wrong place. If the packaging itself can’t be reused, at least the material it’s made from can be. As mentioned, Canadians generate a large amount of plastic waste, 4.6 metric tonnes to be exact. A starting point is to create plastics meant to be recycled, but to actually have consumers properly recycle packaging is a whole other story.
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Some 10,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste enter the Great Lakes of Toronto every year, whether it’s litter left over from beach-goers or microplastics, the result of larger pieces of plastics breaking down.
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In addition to the recycling of PET bottles, concern should also be allocated to reduce consumption, especially among young people, as they, compared to other groups, have a stronger demand for PET-bottled beverages and will be the main body of society.
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Educating the Public on Recycling
Contamination is responsible for sending a portion of good recyclable material to landfills, and separating contamination is a tricky practice that can ruin the entire process.
Companies that create consumer plastics, such as Husky, do everything they can to make sure that consumers are getting the best an easiest plastics to recycle, and repurpose. However, with contamination this can be a problem.
From my research, I have discovered that about a quarter of all plastics recycled in North America is contaminated, meaning that it can’t be recycled. Contaminated in terms of recycling can be as simple as a peanut butter container not washed, or some juice left in a carton. So even though there are many Canadians that are trying to recycle properly, a majority doesn't even make it to be recycled.
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Ontario law currently requires that packaging producers to pay for half of the Blue Bin programs. In 2017, the cost of Toronto’s Blue Bin program was $70 million. Toronto then made $20 million in recyclables sales for a net program cost of $50 million, half of which was paid for by producers. But because the City received almost $9 million less in recycling revenues in 2018, both the City and producers had to create a higher cost.
The recycling program is still very strong in Toronto, according to David Lindsay from Ontario Parks Advisory Board.
“Toronto has access to local markets for a lot of materials, meaning when our plastics are returned to Ontario reprocessors, 99 per cent of the time it is made into something new,” said Lindsay.
Recently, the city has introduced many recycling strategies to consumers, such as how to avoid contamination, and in general make smarter decisions on purchasing a product. For example, something as simple as picking a milk carton, milk bag, or plastic jug of milk. Well, depending on the plastic that jug is made out of, it might be your best option. According to the Recycling Council of Ontario, and my research on PET plastics, “if the plastic milk container has the 1 at the bottom not only is it good for recycling, but also as a consumer you will probably get a product that lasts longer than it will in a milk carton. Just make sure to check, but most commonly it is the best choice, even though that may not be what most people think,” said Lindsay.
Recycling Council of Ontario emphasizes just how important it is to educate residents, especially those in big cities like Toronto, on proper ways to recycle and how to do so. As already mentioned, consumers are the biggest problem. The way to fix how cities like Toronto recycles is not only by creating more environmentally friendly plastics, but also educating others on where they end up afterwards. In multi-residential buildings, the City will reject recycling bins with heavy contamination and charge offending properties for garbage removal.
Single Use-Plastics for Consumers
Single-use plastics, invented for the modern “throwaway society”. We know these are only intended to be used once. Common for take-out, delivery, and parties for an easy clean up. It is quite easy to deal with, as a consumer that is. But those who deal with the aftermath of that will disagree.
Single-use plastics are being increasingly produced and used globally, most notably as packaging or consumables, such as plastic shopping bags or disposable tableware. Most single-use plastics are landfilled or incinerated, which causes pollution, consumes valuable land, and squanders limited natural resources. Only relatively small amounts are currently recycled, a hindrance to the concept of a circular economy. Moreover, single-use plastics litter aggregation in the natural environment is a major concern.
Because of the damage that these cause towards the environment, Canada has will be banning single-use plastics, meaning that by 2022 the country will begin phasing out all those simple plastics that you currently have easy access to. Including: Straws, cutlery, six-pack rings for cans, grocery bags, and take-out containers made from hard to recycle plastics.