Keurig Dr Pepper Canada’s commitment to using post consumer recycled materials makes it a company that Canadians are proud to support.

Recycling is important, but when it comes to smart waste management practices and taking steps to ensure longer-term viability for products, it is just the beginning.

“The recyclability of our products is the first stepping stone for a circular economy which means shifting towards a model that optimizes the use of materials and products and keeps them in use for a longer period of time, thus, aiming at reducing or eliminating waste,” says Cynthia Shanks, Senior Director of Communications and Sustainability at Keurig Dr Pepper Canada (KDP Canada).

For KDP Canada, recyclability of our products means rethinking how they are manufactured and packaged. This translates into ensuring that all the packaging is recyclable or compostable and includes post consumer recycled (PCR) materials, with the aim of achieving 30% across their packaging portfolio by 2025.

“In 2018, we transitioned from a multi-layer pod to a cup made entirely from polypropylene, which is a highly desirable material to recyclers,” reveals Shanks. “This allowed us to shift away from the traditional linear ‘take, make, waste’ model to one where we can try to optimize the use of resources.”

KDP worked with various partners in Canada to further its mission. “We’ve worked with the recycling industry, to better understand the recycling landscape,” explains Shanks. Those partners were also instrumental in helping choose the right material to create value in the recycling supply chain. Polypropylene was chosen for its wide acceptance in Canadian recycling programs, its high value for recyclers and its existing, stable end-market – all of which made it the perfect option to become the base material for recyclable K-Cup pods.

KDP created a testing methodology using radio-frequency identification to track the course of its pods through facilities and confirm that the pods are capable of being properly sorted. Twelve tests conducted in North American recycling facilities yielded positive results.

Since the launch of the K-Cup pods made of polypropylene, KDP has worked extensively with recycling stakeholders, stewardship agencies and municipalities to support their official acceptance in blue box programs across the country. As recycling guidelines can differ from one municipality to another, consumers should verify whether they can recycle their coffee pods locally. “We have made a lot of progress over the past few years, but we know from experience that recycling facilities are all different. This is why we invite consumers to check with their local municipality to confirm K-Cup pod acceptance”, adds Shanks.

KDP is unique in that it manufactures not only coffee pods but coffee brewers, too. KDP has embarked on a journey with a Canadian plastic processor, Lavergne, who supplies the high-quality recycled plastic used in Keurig coffee makers.  

“Last year, we launched a coffee maker made with 30 percent post consumer recycled (PCR) plastic,” says Shanks. “In 2022, we will raise the bar to 50% in certain models and expand the use of PCR to other coffee makers.” The use of recycled plastic in the K-Mini family of brewers allowed KDP to avoid the use of one million pounds of virgin plastic since 2020.

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As we prepare for a post-COVID-19 future, we know that returning to “normal” is not an option. More action is needed to ensure a safe, equitable, and sustainable future for Canadians.

We can’t allow the COVID-19 crisis to make us blind to other massive challenges that we faced before it began and will still exist after it’s over: dismantling environmental racism, fighting climate change, ending plastic pollution, keeping our water clean, and removing toxic chemicals from the products we use.

A clean and just recovery for Canada means, above all, investing in a society that places people’s health and the well-being of natural ecosystems that sustain all species first. That means that any investments made must advance environmental progress, address environmental justice, and be consistent with Canada’s international environmental commitments.

A clean and just recovery for Canada means investing in:

• A transition to a sustainable low-carbon economy that provides opportunities for people that have often been left behind.
• The protection and restoration of land, freshwater, and ocean ecosystems along with the wildlife that call these places home.
• Banning many single-use plastics, and ensuring the rest don’t end up in our environment and our bodies.
• The replacement of toxic chemicals used in agriculture, consumer goods, and manufacturing with safer alternatives.
• The development of accessible, affordable, and healthy communities and transportation networks.
• A future that prioritizes social and racial justice, economic equity, and well-being, built in partnership with Indigenous peoples and the communities most exposed to environmental harm.

Investments in the Canadian economy cannot be at odds with our collective commitment to a clean and just recovery. With the right investments, we can build an economy and society that are stronger and more resilient than before the crisis began.

“Environmental Defence Canada is in no way affiliated with, or in endorsement of, any participants or sponsors of the following campaign or their messaging.”

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Jason Pelz

VP, Sustainability, Tetra Pak (Americas)

Tetra Pak is on a company-wide mission to create cartons that are more environmentally-sound than ever.

In the 1950s, Tetra Pak revolutionized food packaging with its paper-based, aseptic carton that can store liquids, including milk, for months without refrigeration.

Today, the company aims to transform the industry once again with a commitment to deliver the world’s most sustainable food package. Tetra Pak is working to create cartons made solely from plant-based or recycled materials that are responsibly sourced, fully recyclable, and carbon-neutral.

“Tetra Pak has long been committed to sustainability, but we’re now doubling down and taking this to the next level,” says Larine Urbina, Vice President of Communications (U.S. and Canada) at Tetra Pak. “The company is investing 100 million euros a year for the next five to 10 years in sustainable packaging solutions, working collaboratively across the value chain to ensure that we have innovative technologies and approaches to develop these new packages.”

Time for a better solution

Packaging plays the vital role of maintaining the nutritional value and taste of the product it contains while expanding access to food. Unfortunately, some materials in packaging contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, depletion of fossil-based resources, and waste in landfills and waterways. While recycling is part of the solution, only nine percent of plastic actually gets recycled. The packaging industry, along with food producers and consumers, realize that the world needs a better answer. And Tetra Pak intends to be a leader on this journey.

In addition to packaging liquid food products like milk, dairy alternatives, juice, and soup, Tetra Pak also provides processing technologies for products including ice cream, cheese, prepared foods, and more. Tetra Pak’s packages are made of an average of 70 percent paperboard from renewable wood fibres. However, they also contain thin layers of plastic and aluminum, both of which play a key role in securing food safety and extending shelf life.

“It’s a balance between protecting food and protecting the planet. Every layer in the package serves a specific purpose toward protecting the product inside,” says Jason Pelz, Vice President of Sustainability (Americas) at Tetra Pak. “For example, the thin aluminum layer plays a key role in food safety and long shelf life, so we can’t just remove that from the packaging. Instead, we’re working to find a more environmentally-sound solution.”

Sustainability throughout the supply chain

Pelz says that, in addition to the actual packaging, Tetra Pak’s commitment to sustainability focuses on the entire supply chain, which includes ensuring that materials are responsibly and sustainably sourced, replacing as much aluminum and plastic as possible, and increasing the efficiency of its manufacturing plants.

Already, all of its packages use paperboard from Forest Stewardship Council certified or controlled sources, meaning that the company sources raw materials from forests managed in a way that prevents biodiversity loss and ensures renewability. All of its sugarcane-based plastic is Bonsucro-certified, which means that it’s fully traceable to its origin, ensuring ethical business practices.​

In 2020, Tetra Pak committed to reach net-zero GHG emissions in its operations by 2030 and net-zero GHG emissions across the entire value chain by 2050. The company also educates consumers on recycling and works with customers, waste management professionals, recyclers, municipalities, and others in the value chain to expand the collection and recycling of packages.

Protecting food remains a priority

Pelz adds that the company won’t compromise on one of its founding principles—reducing food waste. Each year, 33 percent of food produced globally is lost or wasted, while many people across the world go hungry. Food waste also affects climate change. When we waste food, it wastes the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, transport, and package it. And food rotting in a landfill produces the GHG methane.

Urbina says that to reach its goals, Tetra Pak is strengthening its valuable partnerships with food producers, raw materials providers, and recyclers. “We recognize that to truly make it to the next level, we can’t do it alone,” she says. “It takes collaborative innovation to drive change.”

Within Tetra Pak, Pelz says that the journey to creating the world’s most sustainable food package is a whole company effort, with employees who are passionate about their mission. “It’s not just one department,” he says. “It’s a much bigger movement within the company to really make this central to what we do.”

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What is Sustainable Forest Management?

Sustainable forest management maintains the long-term health of our forests while supporting the wide range of economic, social, and ecological values we rely upon. Across Canada, sustainable forestry is guided by rigorous regulations that ensure all activities are based on sound science, extensive planning, public and Indigenous consultation, and continuous monitoring.

The role of sustainable forest management has been widely recognized as an important tool in mitigating climate change.  In 2019, the UN’s International Panel on Climate Change stated: “Sustainable forest management aimed at providing timber, fibre, biomass, non‐timber resources and other ecosystem functions and services, can lower GHG emissions and can contribute to adaptation.” It’s no surprise that all levels of government have embraced sustainable forestry as a key component of a carbon-friendly future.

How can Sustainable Forest Management Fight Climate Change?

Trees sequester and store carbon as they grow. Older trees can store a large volume of carbon (the average 80-year-old Canadian tree absorbs 200 kg of carbon over its life); however, as their growth slows, so too does their ability to absorb additional carbon. Conversely, younger trees that are still growing can sequester carbon at a much higher rate. Further, as trees age, they often become carbon sources rather than sinks, either through natural decay or as they become more susceptible to disturbances such as fire and pests.

The carbon implications of aging forests are evident here in Canada – today, our managed forests are net sources of carbon, owing in part to advances in fire suppression during the 1950s that resulted in an older forest than would naturally occur.

Sustainable forest management limits carbon losses associated with natural tree death. Harvesting trees allows sequestered carbon to remain locked up in the form of wood products for far longer than the natural lifespan of a tree. And, for each tree harvested, new trees take root, resulting in an additional carbon benefit. In Canada, forest renewal is required by law.

Additionally, wood products can displace carbon-intensive materials while still providing the range of products we rely on (toilet paper, books, furniture, television screens, renewable energy, etc.). Through innovation, wood is increasingly being used to replace single-use plastics and high-carbon construction materials.

As Canada moves towards a 2050 Net-Zero objective, one thing is certain: our forests, and their sustainable management, is a big part of the solution.

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Mediaplanet recently caught up with sustainability entrepreneur and founder of The Zero Waste Collective, Tara McKenna for her insights on low-waste living and her own personal journey.

What are some key areas for improvement that people should be aware of when it comes to sustainable living and what steps can they take to get started?

Ultimately it comes down to improving our relationship with the earth – the thing is, that is conceptually really hard for most of us to even fathom, so it really needs to be broken down into tangible steps. Most people are aware of sustainable living but might not participate because it either feels overwhelming or unrealistic – so we need to make the suggestions for sustainable living more achievable to fit within people’s real lives.

In terms of those tangible steps, I think it begins with consuming less overall – that suggestion can be very broad so I like to break it down into objectives like trying to do a “no-buy month” or a “no-buy year” where you might only consume the essentials and track what you’re purchasing and consuming. When you are making purchases, try and consume better – instead of using credit to buy the latest fashions, maybe you enforce a rule that you don’t go into debt for purchases – then from there, you can focus on buying things that are better quality and longer lasting that you won’t be throwing out the next week.

I think the big elephant in the room when it comes to sustainability and our relationship with the earth is animal agriculture – eating less meat and animal products has a huge role in reducing our CO2 emissions. Facilitating animal agriculture globally results in a lot of deforestation and of course forests sequester carbon, so when we’re converting forests into land used for animal agriculture, we’re increasing the levels of CO2 in our atmosphere in multiple ways. I’m certainly in no place to tell anyone to go vegan, I’m personally not vegan, but I am quite mindful of the animal products I do consume – I think rather than telling the whole world to go vegan, it’s more realistic to advocate for everyone to try to reduce their level of animal product consumption.

Ultimately it comes down to consuming less, consuming better, skipping single-use when possible, and trying to eat fewer animal products.

In your experience, what is the greatest misconception that people hold about Zero-Waste lifestyles?

The greatest misconception is that it’s actually possible to go “zero-waste” – there’s no one who is truly “zero-waste” because we just don’t live in that kind of society and there are so many externalities out of our day-to-day control. For example, over the lifecycle of all the products we use and consume, from resource extraction, to manufacturing, to disposal, there is so much happening in terms of waste creation and that gets overlooked in the conversation of our own personal waste output.

The great opportunity with the idea of “zero-waste” however, is the conversation that ensues around what this lifestyle can actually look like in a more practical sense, and what we can really hope to achieve. Ultimately, I think it’s really “low-waste living” that we should be advocating for; low-waste within the context of your personal circumstances, your lifestyle preferences, and your budget.

Was there a particular moment or experience in your life that stands out as the one that motivated you to commit to this lifestyle and career or was the process a more gradual one?

For the most part, yes – there was a specific moment that I felt quite devastated – it was a trip to Bali a number of years ago. I have family that lives in Indonesia, and we were visiting them – I was snorkeling and saw a lot of trash intermingling with the fish and even as someone who grew up abroad and did lots of snorkeling and scuba diving, I had never seen this much trash amongst the corals before – it was really eye-opening to me just how devastating that was. It occurred to me how much negative human impact there was on this environment and it just didn’t seem fair, but in that moment, I thought “what am I supposed to do? I’m not a marine biologist, how am I supposed to fix this problem?” but I had this urge deep inside me that I just needed to do something – however it didn’t happen right away, I didn’t do anything right away, and I actually didn’t even immediately make the connection to my own lifestyle choices in that moment and at the time “zero-waste” was certainly not a mainstream idea – this was around the early 2010s.

Up until then, I didn’t think about the takeout order I was getting and how it was connected to ocean waste. But eventually I began to commit to a number of different lifestyle changes and embrace causes that were starting to gain traction. For example, there have been huge movements to reduce the toxicity of our personal care products, to clean up our diets, and all of these different but related lifestyle changes have become increasingly mainstream over the past 10 years. So, since that day in Bali, I have been working towards all of these different lifestyle changes as it became more and more clear to me that my waste was having a huge direct impact. I realized that in response to that, I could directly reduce my impact by lowering the amount of takeout I have or skip single-use items wherever possible instead of opting for the convenience of disposables.

Reflecting on it now, it was both a very specific experience that initiated the process, but it was also a very gradual lifestyle transition over the last 10 years or so.

The post Kick-Starting Your Low-Waste Lifestyle with Tara McKenna appeared first on HiveInnovates.

A coherent and committed position on bioplastics would allow for significant investment to be made, either in the sourcing of biomass material for polymerization or alternative manufacture, or to fully deploy the needed infrastructure to deliver full-scale and product-aligned biodegradable processes.

All aboard the Ocean Plastics Charter

The federal government has consistently relied upon its leadership in the 2018 G7 summit as evidence of its leadership on plastic pollution matters. By all accounts, the initiative has been successful — growing to 26 countries and including numerous international and domestic stakeholders from across the plastics value chain. A downside of such inclusion, however, is the dilution of the Charter’s mandate, which endorses:

• Plastics reuse
• Recycling (seemingly both mechanical and chemical)
• Restrictions upon single-use plastics
• Post-consumer recycled content
• Waste-to-energy
• New innovative plastic materials and alternatives

In other words, every solution is endorsed, leaving industry and investors without a clear roadmap as to where the future of plastics lies.

Canada’s domestic plastics challenge

One of the legacies of the Ocean Plastics Charter is the G7 Plastics Innovation Challenge, which was designed to promote research and development of new and more sustainable technologies, design, or production methods by the private sector and innovators to address plastics waste in the oceans with a focus on all stages of the production and supply chain.

The G7 Plastics Innovation Challenge has, however, yet to produce any clear indication as to whether bioplastics might be endorsed by the G7, also remembering that the United States (and Japan) are currently not signatories, making a North American bioplastics strategy more difficult.

Canada, for its part, convened a Domestic Plastics Challenge and began and has begun to invest in research into converting biomass-based residues into “sustainable domestic plastic material” with the aim of improving the compostability of bioplastics.

Phase II Action Plan calls for more plastics science

The July 2020 Canadian Counsel of Ministers of the Environment Phase II Action Plan overtly relies heavily upon Canada’s Plastics Science Agenda to invest in plastics-related science and innovation along the plastics value chain to better understand the effects of plastic pollution and identify opportunities for plastics design and management for improved circularity in the economy.

But this comes after the earlier Phase I Action Plan which already mandated action — namely a circular economy for plastics through a landmark collaboration between the federal and provincial governments. The sequencing is off.

More importantly, the fits and starts in Canada’s bioplastics markets over the past decade have led to tangible uncertainty within the financial community. How can large scale bioplastics investment be made in the absence of a clear Canadian strategy?

Jonathan Cocker is a partner at Baker McKenzie, where he heads the Environmental Practice Group. He will be joining Borden Ladner Gervais’ Environmental Groupon on Oct. 1, 2020.

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Dr. Sylvain Charlebois

Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University

John Pigott

CEO, Club Coffee

Susan Thoman

Managing Director, Compost Manufacturing Alliance

Single-use plastics are now seen as a global crisis. Less than 10% of them are recycled. The rest are sent to landfills, dumped into lakes and oceans, burned for energy (with its own environmental implications), or shipped to countries like the Philippines, which are now pushing them back to us.

The issue stays in the spotlight with every news report of marine animals hurt or killed by plastic in our oceans. Governments are now committing to action and calling for collaboration to get results. The growing importance of partnerships to create innovations such as plant-based compostable packaging can’t be overstated.

Seeking alternatives to single-use plastics 

Over a period of eight months, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, co-authored the recent report, The Single-Use Plastics Dilemma: Perceptions and Possible Solutions. 

“Our recommendation is for the government to actually entice and encourage companies to use compostable technologies, and perhaps even help companies to commercialize these technologies,” says Dr. Charlebois. “Right now, the technologies do exist, but they’re not necessarily accessible financially. Incentives need to be brought forward to make the connection between people who actually need the technology and companies that would benefit from using different packaging.”

The good news is that change is happening. Dalhousie University’s study shows that Canadians are seeking alternative options and looking to composting and packaging-free foods. The big advantage for consumers is simplicity. “It’s convenient,” notes Dr. Charlebois. “Just put your items in a green bin. With recycling, there’s processing that’s necessary and there’s a bit more work, like sorting and cleaning, required from the consumer.”

The amount of single-use plastics, such as coffee pods, is staggering. Billions of pods end up in landfills every year. As one of the world’s top three coffee-loving countries, Canadians want solutions to minimize that waste and divert nutrient-rich coffee grounds back to compost and back to the earth.

Traditional plastic recycling of some pods is an option, but it’s not as easy as consumers would like. They have to separate the foil lid, clean out the grounds, and remove a paper filter inside of the cup, and even that may not be enough for recyclers. A better alternative was needed.

Compostable coffee pods reduce plastic waste

Toronto-based company Club Coffee has risen to the challenge and introduced compostable coffee pods. “We understand that consumers want solutions to single-use plastic waste in our environment,” says company CEO John Pigott. “Listening to them led us to create a compostable coffee pod. We saw many ideas and innovations out there that we could build on in collaboration with academic experts and other partner businesses to make a difference for consumers and the environment.”

Club Coffee’s goal was to give consumers the compostable pod they wanted. “We’re doing that now with Loblaw Companies Limited and other partners,” says Pigott. “That’s just the start. We’re working on more innovations in sustainable packaging that can get us past throwaway plastic for good.”

For its part, Loblaw Companies Limited values collaborations with industry partners to implement innovative solutions that have positive impacts on the environment. “It was incredibly important that we could offer great-tasting, convenient coffee in a more environmentally-responsible packaging format and sell it at the same price as before,” says Ian Gordon, Senior Vice President of Loblaw Brands Limited. “We’re proud to partner with other Canadian companies and to work together to achieve greater results. We’re always bringing innovation to the industry, and there are times, like with PC® Single-Serve Compostable Coffee Pods, where we need to strategically collaborate with partners to succeed.”

Switching to compostable coffee pods can make a significant impact. “Our network of compost facility owners appreciates that extra steps have been taken to field test the disintegration of the compostable pod in various composting processes, as spent coffee is a highly-valued input for making great soil amendments,” says Susan Thoman, Managing Director of the Compost Manufacturing Alliance.

The benefit of strong partnerships and the larger-scale use of compostable and plant-based materials for consumers is that they’ll make newer technology more affordable, as well as more widely available and adopted. As Dr. Charlebois notes, “As a society, we’re going to have to make some choices.” With partnerships and innovations to address the single-use plastic challenge, those choices are clearer.

Ask the Scientist: How Does Composting Work?

Dr. Calvin Lakhan, a Faculty of Environmental Studies researcher at York University in Toronto, offers his thoughts.

How does composting work?

At a very high level, it’s a controlled biological decomposition of organic materials. Microorganisms consume organic material, utilizing carbon as a source of energy and nitrogen as a source of protein that allows them to reproduce.

Why is it important?

Composting helps divert organic material from landfills, and subsequently reduces the carbon footprint associated with untreated organic waste. Perhaps more importantly, it helps promote sustainable behaviour and awareness in consumers.

What can Canadians do?

Households can participate in the Green Bin program offered by some municipalities. In those without one, an at-home composting pile can be set up.

What’s the alternative to plastic single-serve coffee pods?

Compostable pods abate twice as much carbon when compared to plastic pods, and at approximately one-twentieth of the cost. It’s the economically- and environmentally-preferred option.

3 Surprising Facts About Single-Use Plastics

Dalhousie University’s report, The Single-Use Plastics Dilemma: Perceptions and Possible Solutions, contains some riveting findings:

1

Canadians are largely united about the need for change. Almost 94% of respondents are personally motivated to reduce single-use plastic food packaging because of its environmental impacts. Residents of Quebec and the Atlantic provinces are the most motivated.

2

More than 70% said they support a ban of all single-use plastics in food packaging, although adopting new technologies
was preferred to outright bans.

3

Biodegradable and compostable solutions are the most popular with Canadians.

Video by:

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What was the initial inspiration for you to start your zero waste journey?

I’ve been passionate about sustainability for a very long time, but everything for me really started when I read Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring, it’s about the effects of DDT and man-made pesticides on bird populations, human populations, and the environment, and it showed me that human beings are the only creatures that really have the power and the capacity to damage the planet for everything else that lives here. That really motivated me to start thinking about the power that people have to create negative or positive impact. I initially spent most of my time protesting for the environment and talking to everybody about environmental issues, but I realized through a series of events that there was a big misalignment between the way that I was living my life every day, and the values that I had.

During that process, what did you find was the most challenging part?

Everyone always wants to know what the most challenging part was, but really none of the steps to reduce your waste are hard. The hardest thing is really the mental block and preconception that kind of leads to questions like that and thinking that reducing waste is hard. Even eliminating a little bit of waste from your routine is something really, really positive, so I learned how to change my outlook and my narrative from being like, “Oh man, I’m so bad, I made trash today,” to being more like, “Wow I’m amazing, I’m having a positive impact and saving money!”

For anyone in the mindset of not being able to start a zero waste lifestyle, how do you suggest they turn that around?

One of the things I think blocks people is that they think, “Oh I’m just one person,” or, “What difference can I really make?” But I always like to say that the average American makes about 4.4 pounds of trash per person per day. So, reducing that even a little bit helps to keep hundreds if not thousands of pounds of trash out of landfills, and that’s significant, right?

Did you find that maintaining your sustainable business practices made starting a business even harder?

I actually found that it made it a lot easier. I believe that the function of business is to solve problems and Package Free was started on the back of two major problems. One was making sustainable products more accessible and convenient for people, which was something I knew existed because of Trash is For Tossers and speaking to the community and people around me. And two, there were all these great sustainable businesses that were having a hard time growing and scaling their companies, because they were mission-driven and not necessarily business driven. We’ve kept over 100 million pieces of trash out of landfills over the past few years and we’re really just getting started.

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Humans have tipped the planet’s balance, and everyone is paying for it. We take too much, we make too much, and we waste too much, thanks to our linear system of consumption. This linear system and our throwaway culture aren’t, and never were, serving us or our planet. There is no “away” for our waste to go. Our natural systems have reached their limits.

We’re in a climate crisis. The state of our oceans is dire. Rapid and widespread biodiversity loss across ecosystems is weighing heavily on wildlife and nature lovers worldwide. The merging and amplification of global environmental crises isn’t a coincidence. The interconnectedness of our blue planet’s natural systems is both a strength and a weakness in the survival of life on Earth. 

Plastic has emerged as an unfortunate player in our planet’s multi-system breakdown. Our reliance on plastic, mainly in single-use formats, contributes to the climate, oceans, and biodiversity crises and has created its own — the plastic waste and pollution crisis. 

Almost all plastic is made from fossil fuels. From extraction to disposal, plastic creates harmful emissions. Recent studies also found that plastic emits even when it’s in the form of pollution. Without a halt in plastic production, greenhouse gas emissions related to plastic will continue to rise, which in turn puts more pressure on the oceans, which are already feeling the effects of a changing climate. Changing ocean conditions make it harder for species to be resilient against threats like plastic pollution, and marine biodiversity gets it at all angles.

We need a new system that’s truly circular instead of linear — one that rethinks, reduces, and reuses, instead of one that takes, makes, and wastes. 

With so many massive problems to tackle, where’s a person supposed to start? While single-use plastic certainly isn’t the sole driver of the climate and oceans breakdowns, in our everyday lives it’s representative of a wasteful and careless culture we need to leave behind. By rejecting single-use plastic where possible, encouraging businesses to do the same, and joining a global movement of people calling for a ban on non-essential plastics, we can help curb our collective plastic and carbon footprint. More sustainable ways of receiving goods and services are all around us — we just need to embrace them and use our collective power to demand greener and healthier solutions.

The post Time to End Single-Use Plastics for a Brighter Ocean and Climate Future appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Enterprises looking to build a more sustainable practice have been seeking the services of companies like Vivreau for its water filtration and dispenser system technology.

It’s part of an ongoing trend that’s pushing enterprises to prioritize sustainability, and there’s empirical evidence backing it up. A Randstad survey from 2018 found that 77% of Canadians only wanted to work for a company with a strong corporate sustainability program. Research firm Corporate Knights first started ranking publicly-traded companies on their sustainability practices in 2005, and has seen new entrants in the Top 100 year after year.

There are countless tangible benefits to having a hydrated workforce for better productivity.

Chris Dagenais, Vice President of Marketing at Vivreau

Cleaner diversion

Vivreau, which launched in North America in 2009, developed a solution that connects to a company’s water main and filters water for healthier consumption. Its clients are mostly enterprises in office buildings, along with the hospitality sector, serving the water needs of employees and guests without single-use plastics. The system can dispense over 120 litres of chilled and purified still or sparkling water per hour, with each filter processing nearly 95,000 litres. 

“A critical mass has emerged as companies feel increased scrutiny about the way things have always been done,” says Chris Dagenais, Vice President of Marketing at Vivreau. “Having a blue bin filled with disposable plastic bottles at the end of a workday is far from a net zero proposition when you consider the energy, water, transport, and labour required to produce a new container through recycling.”

Vivreau’s systems support businesses with two general approaches to responsible hydration. Intuitively-designed self-serve dispensers are targeted to staff and stakeholders who fill up their own personal bottles instead of reaching for single-serve bottled products. Alternatively, businesses can use the system with custom branded reusable glass water bottles, particularly for offices that hold meetings or events.

Healthy environment

Businesses can improve health and wellness in the workplace by replacing refrigerators filled with sugary drinks with a system that serves everyone. 

“The landscape for a responsible water program becomes much friendlier to decision-makers when they see that they’re keeping good company with other notable companies that have adopted programs,” says Dagenais. “There are countless tangible benefits to having a hydrated workforce for better productivity. It’s not just the environmental proposition for many organizations, but also the health of their employees and clients that informs a sustainability goal.”

Dagenais also believes scale matters. An enterprise with multiple offices in different cities or countries could see significant cost and space savings from replacing pallets of product with a single dispenser. 

“Deep down, everyone wants to do the right thing,” he says. “If one office takes a chance on a new approach like this, it’s just a matter of time before the positive, tangible program metrics encourage others to follow suit.”  

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