Opinion: Let’s get our reusable containers out of lockdown
There’s no doubt about it, disposable products have made a major comeback to the detriment of the zero waste movement, which until the start of the pandemic had strong wind in its sails.
In March 2020, every precaution was justified, but we’ve learned a lot since then and it's time to reevaluate the options and get our good habits back on track.
Single-use packaging spiked in the pandemic’s early days for health and safety reasons.
The argument was that a reusable container is less safe because it’s a surface on which the virus could be transmitted.
While COVID-19 transmission through surfaces is not disproven, after almost two years we know that the virus is mainly transmitted through aerosols when an infected individual is in close proximity to another person.
Beyond that, the argument doesn’t hold up because a single-use package also happens to be… a surface! The same logic should therefore apply.
It’s time to stop using the pandemic to justify the mountains of waste being generated by single-use items.
A GUIDE FOR THE SAFE USE OF REUSABLE CONTAINERS
A new edition of the Guide to best practices in food, health, and safety for the handling of containers and other reusable items, first published in French in 2020, has been updated and translated to English for the first time.
Approved by the Direction régionale de santé publique du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, the guide contains valuable information for businesses who want to bring back reusable container options, as well as for consumers, showcasing the many benefits.
REUSABLE CONTAINERS ARE SAFE
It’s all a question of process.
With proper handling, reusable containers are a very safe option because there is minimal handling between each wash.
That’s not the case for disposable containers, for which there are numerous steps and often thousands of kilometres before they end up in consumers’ hands.
No one seems to be bothered by eating off dishes that have been washed in restaurants, so why should we be concerned with washable reusable containers?
Furthermore, health rules for reusable containers are strictly enforced by the Quebec Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS TO REUSABLES
It goes without saying that reusable containers greatly reduce our environmental footprint, and not just from a waste standpoint.
Each piece of packaging has a life cycle that impacts the environment, from resource extraction and processing to packaging, shipping, use and end of life.
By saying no to disposable items, you’re not just stopping them from ending up in the landfill, you’re also saving all the natural resources and energy that go into their life cycle.
Even when compared to single-use packaging that is recyclable or compostable at the end of its life (which, by the way, is far from guaranteed), reusable containers are always the better environmental option, because their life cycle is extended via multiple uses.
So, fellow citizens, let's dust off all those reusable containers and put them back to work!
We must respect the science and get back to our good habits, in order to be more responsible consumers and citizens in all facets of life.
Signatories:
- Amélie Côté, Analyst, Reduction at the source, Équiterre
- Mélissa de La Fontaine, Co-founder and President of the Coopérative Incita
- Cindy Trottier, Founder and Executive Director, Circuit Zéro Déchet
- Aurore Courtieux-Boinot, Co-founder, La vague
- Magali Simard, Funding, partnership and membership, Association Québécoise Zéro Déchet
- Luise Stahl, Member of the Board and Program Coordinator, Net Impact Montreal
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.