food packaging
Credit: Douglas Muth/Flickr
Businesses can reduce packaging waste with reusable solutions
A Vancouver company has developed an innovative system to reduce food package waste by using reusable containers, transforming how cafés and restaurants serve food.
In short:
- ShareWares offers reusable food packaging for cafes, restaurants, and events, reducing waste by allowing customers to return used containers for cleaning and reuse.
- The service involves a deposit system where customers scan QR codes on dishes to get their deposits refunded after use.
- ShareWares has partnerships with Tim Hortons and received a provincial grant to expand its washing facility, enabling the processing of up to 100,000 reusable products daily.
Key quote:
"We need to reduce our waste on this planet. We’re using 1.7 Earths of resources every year."
— Cody Irwin, CEO of ShareWares
Why this matters:
Reducing packaging waste helps decrease the carbon footprint and promotes sustainable practices. ShareWares' reusable system demonstrates how businesses can adopt circular economy principles to support environmental health. Read more: Get BPA out of food packaging, US health professionals tell feds.Keep reading...Show less
Credit: G Witteveen/Flickr
AI tool aims to curb plastic waste in food industry
A new machine learning tool developed at U.C. Santa Barbara aims to guide policymakers in reducing plastic waste through a variety of interventions.
In short:
- Representatives from more than 150 countries are negotiating a treaty to address the plastic crisis, with final details expected later this year.
- The Global Plastics AI Policy Tool assesses the impact of 11 policy interventions on reducing plastic waste through 2050, predicting significant reductions with measures like minimum recycled content mandates and capping virgin plastic production.
- Expert Nivedita Biyani emphasizes the need for systemic changes in waste management, comparing current practices to outdated methods from the 1950s.
Key quote:
"Negotiators need to recognize that plastic pollution is an accelerating global crisis that cannot be solved with fragmented national approaches."
— Eirik Lindebjerg, WWF International’s global plastics policy lead
Why this matters:
Plastic pollution is a growing global crisis affecting both environmental and human health. Effective policies, informed by AI tools, are important for achieving significant reductions in plastic waste, especially in sectors like food packaging. Read more: Investigation: PFAS on our shelves and in our bodies.
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Credit: Rubbermaid Products/Flickr
Revolutionizing reusable packaging will require collaborative solution
A new report emphasizes the need for standardized reusable packaging systems to combat plastic waste and encourages unified efforts to achieve global adoption.
In short:
- A Seattle cafe's reusable cup program failed due to logistical issues and a lack of coordination with other businesses.
- The nonprofit PR3 is creating standards for reusable packaging to promote uniformity and efficiency in reuse systems.
- For wide adoption, businesses need standardized containers and unified logistics, while educating consumers on reusables' importance.
Key quote:
“If we want everyone to move in the same direction, we need to set some design parameters for how we want the system to function.”
— Claudette Juska, co-founder, PR3.
Why this matters:
Plastic waste from single-use containers harms health and the environment. Standardized reusable packaging systems, promoted through collaborative efforts, could significantly reduce this waste globally. Read more: Get BPA out of food packaging, US health professionals tell feds.
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Newsletter
Credit: David/Flickr
California confronts plastic recycling challenges under new law
A recent report challenges California's approach to plastic recycling, citing concerns over illegal exports and the state's "Truth in Labeling" law.
- California's recycling law, aimed at accurate recyclability claims, faces scrutiny for potentially allowing misleading labels and illegal plastic waste exports.
- Environmental groups criticize the state's preliminary data, arguing it could mislead consumers and exacerbate plastic pollution.
- The controversy highlights the complex issues surrounding plastic recycling, including contamination and the global trade in waste.
Key quote:
"As a state, California is still misleading its own citizens and the world when it comes to pretending to be able to recycle most of our plastic wastes."
— Jan Dell, founder of The Last Beach Cleanup.
Why this matters:
With only 6% of plastics recycled nationally, the failure to manage plastic waste has a detrimental affect on global health and environmental sustainability. Every stage of plastic production and use is harming human health.
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California's attempt to cut down on plastic bags has unintended consequences, spurring new legislative action
In the decade following California's celebrated first-in-the-nation single-use plastic bag ban, plastic bag waste jumped by nearly 50%. What went wrong?
In short:
- California's ban on single-use plastic bags led to an increase in heavier, so-called "reusable" bags, causing a surge in plastic waste.
- The new legislation aims to close the loophole that allowed these thicker bags, with a focus on truly reducing plastic use.
- Other states have learned from California's experience, adopting more stringent measures to avoid similar pitfalls.
Key quote:
"Californians want less plastic, not more."
— Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica)
Why this matters:
Revisiting California's ban on single-use plastic bags spotlights the complexities of crafting effective environmental legislation and the importance of adaptability in policy-making. Competing interests have made the U.S. a laggard in the broader effort to combat plastic pollution.
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Photo by roberta errani on Unsplash
Plastic bag bans have already prevented billions of bags from being used, report finds
“The bottom line is that plastic bag bans work.”
Credit: Demetri Dourambeis/Flickr
The plastic chemicals hiding in your food
CR tested popular fast foods and supermarket staples for some of the chemicals used to make plastic, which can be harmful to your health. Here's what we found—and how to stay safer.
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