More items could be going into your green bin.
The Ontario Government is looking to expand what exactly may be considered compostable. It’s seeking public input on its proposal to reduce the amount of food and organic waste going to landfills. There are proposed amendments to the Food and Organic Waste Policy Statement that the Ontario Government believes would, “clarify and expand the types of materials that should be collected by municipalities in green bins and encourage innovation in the processing of compostable products.”
The Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Jeff Yurek, says they need to eliminate inconsistency in the system.
“Consumers and businesses want to cut down on the amount of waste they create by composting food and other organic materials, but with programs and services varying from community to community, there is a lot of inconsistency and confusion about how to do this. Our proposal provides greater clarity and encourages innovative compostable products and packaging, so we can help businesses and the public make better decisions about packaging and food waste in order to keep it out of our landfills.”
The Regional Councillor for Milton’s Ward 3, Mike Cluett, says the Region and other municipalities are looking to reduce waste in any way that they can.
Proposed changes to the policy statement would:
- Clarify and expand the types of materials that may be collected in municipal green bins and other collection systems, including certain compostable products and packaging such as certified compostable coffee pods.
- Support consumers and businesses in making better decisions about packaging and food waste and spur innovation in the management and processing of compostable products, for example, through technology updates, research, and piloting.
- Reduce waste from going to landfill.
Councillor Cluett says biodegradable coffee cups are a big deal.
Those coffee cups are coming from companies like Kraft Heinz Canada.
“As the country’s largest food company, Kraft Heinz Canada shares the Ontario government’s goal of protecting our air, land and water,” said Bruno Keller, President, Kraft Heinz Canada. “With our commitment to a more sustainable future, we are pleased Ontario’s update of the Food and Organic Waste Policy recognizes the value of innovations like our Maxwell House compostable coffee pods in achieving that goal.”
We recently saw the federal government announced the banning of single-use plastics across the country.
You can provide feedback on amendments to the Food and Organic Waste Policy Statement, which is open for public comment on the Environmental Registry until November 11th. These comments will help inform updates to the policy which are designed to prevent and reduce food waste and explore innovative options for compostable packaging changes.
