The recent move by Sobeys to ban plastic bags will remove 225 million single use bags from circulation a year. But take a look at your next grocery haul and you’ll see that ditching the bags doesn’t get rid of single-use plastics altogether.
Cucumbers and lettuce come wrapped in a thin layer of plastic that can’t be reused and then there are those bags of rice or pasta that once opened, can’t be resealed.
Although Sobeys is the largest national retailer to remove unnecessary plastic, smaller shops in Toronto have gone even further to encourage waste reduction.
Unboxed Market in Little Portugal and bare market (its name is written in lowercase) on Danforth Avenue sell their goods unwrapped. They have some tips on how to reduce your plastic trail.
Ditch the produce bags
The co-owner of Unboxed Market, Michelle Genttner, wanted to open a grocery store that went back to her country roots. You won’t find any plastic produce bags at her shop. The fruits and vegetables are sold unpackaged.
“Apples have a peel, oranges have a peel, you don’t need the extra packaging,” said Genttner. “You’re going home, washing and peeling them anyway.”
Michelle Genttner, co-owner of Unboxed Market, sells everything without packaging. Customers can buy milk on tap and even a single egg. (Natalie Nanowski/CBC )
Head to the bulk bins
While most grocery stores offer nuts and grains package-free, Dayna Stein’s bare market has hundreds of home and beauty products sold by weight.
“How many eyeshadows do you have that you’ve only used once?,” said Stein. “This way you can buy the amount you need. There’s less waste and you can see if you like the product.”
Customers can purchase a small amount of a beauty product like dry shampoo to try it out. Stein says this reduces waste. (Natalie Nanowski/CBC)
Bring your own containers
Jars are great for bulk bins. Simply weigh them before they’re filled so you’re only paying for the weight of the food. Stein’s Danforth store also offers cleaning products. She encourages customers to hold on to “the old toilet cleaner container” and refill it. “You’re extending the life of the product and keeping it out of the landfill,” said Stein.
If it works, don’t replace it
Switching over to plastic-free is great, but Stein says don’t rush to buy all new household items if the plastic ones are still in good condition. “Buying all new stuff, even if it’s plastic-free, is consumerism at its base,” said Stein. If they’re working, don’t upgrade them.
Stein sells cleaning products made from natural elements like wood. (Natalie Nanowski/CBC )
Go in with a list
That will keep you from buying unnecessary items that often come wrapped in plastic, says Genttner. If you go in with a list and the containers you need, you’re unlikely to buy more items than necessary.
Pro tip: Start small
Minimizing your dependance on single-use items can be challenging, says Emily Charles-Donelson. Since her daughter was born six year ago, she’s been on a journey toward a zero-waste lifestyle.
“I opted to use cloth diapers for my daughter because they made more sense,” said Charles-Donelson. “Then, I started seeing the waste everywhere else … I just thought if I’m doing this thing with diapers then I need to extend it to other areas of my life as well.”
She started small by carrying around a reusable bag and coffee cup. Once she got used to that, she added more items to her arsenal. Now she has a full zero-waste kit with lightweight tin containers, cloth napkin and bamboo cutlery.
This is what Emily Charles-Donelson carries in her zero waste kit. (Emily Charles-Donelson)
Every time she orders takeout or gets popcorn at the movies, she tells servers to use her containers instead of their disposable ones.
“I’ve never been turned down,” said Charles-Donelson.
Big stores, next steps
Allowing people to fill their own containers at the hot or cold food table is something more grocery stores should start doing, says Genttner.
“If you bring in a container and it’s clean and it closes we have no problem at all putting whatever you want in it,” said Genttner.
Michelle Genttner holds the reusable containers Unboxed Market will start using as takeout options. Once people are done eating, they are supposed to return the containers. (Natalie Nanowski/CBC )
Unboxed Market is also moving toward a reusable container program for those who don’t come equipped with a takeaway box. Once you order what you want, you eat it and eventually bring the container back.
Genttner believes manufacturers will eventually realize this and start catering to consumers’ environmental demands.
TORONTO – Canada Goose Holdings Inc. says it has signed a deal that will result in the creation of its first eyewear collection.
The deal announced on Thursday by the Toronto-based luxury apparel company comes in the form of an exclusive, long-term global licensing agreement with Marchon Eyewear Inc.
The terms and value of the agreement were not disclosed, but Marchon produces eyewear for brands including Lacoste, Nike, Calvin Klein, Ferragamo, Longchamp and Zeiss.
Marchon plans to roll out both sunglasses and optical wear under the Canada Goose name next spring, starting in North America.
Canada Goose says the eyewear will be sold through optical retailers, department stores, Canada Goose shops and its website.
Canada Goose CEO Dani Reiss told The Canadian Press in August that he envisioned his company eventually expanding into eyewear and luggage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Almost seven years since news broke of an alleged conspiracy to fix the price of packaged bread across Canada, the saga isn’t over: the Competition Bureau continues to investigate the companies that may have been involved, and two class-action lawsuits continue to work their way through the courts.
Here’s a timeline of key events in the bread price-fixing case.
Oct. 31, 2017: The Competition Bureau says it’s investigating allegations of bread price-fixing and that it was granted search warrants in the case. Several grocers confirm they are co-operating in the probe.
Dec. 19, 2017: Loblaw and George Weston say they participated in an “industry-wide price-fixing arrangement” to raise the price of packaged bread. The companies say they have been co-operating in the Competition Bureau’s investigation since March 2015, when they self-reported to the bureau upon discovering anti-competitive behaviour, and are receiving immunity from prosecution. They announce they are offering $25 gift cards to customers amid the ongoing investigation into alleged bread price-fixing.
Jan. 31, 2018: In court documents, the Competition Bureau says at least $1.50 was added to the price of a loaf of bread between about 2001 and 2016.
Dec. 20, 2019: A class-action lawsuit in a Quebec court against multiple grocers and food companies is certified against a number of companies allegedly involved in bread price-fixing, including Loblaw, George Weston, Metro, Sobeys, Walmart Canada, Canada Bread and Giant Tiger (which have all denied involvement, except for Loblaw and George Weston, which later settled with the plaintiffs).
Dec. 31, 2021: A class-action lawsuit in an Ontario court covering all Canadian residents except those in Quebec who bought packaged bread from a company named in the suit is certified against roughly the same group of companies.
June 21, 2023: Bakery giant Canada Bread Co. is fined $50 million after pleading guilty to four counts of price-fixing under the Competition Act as part of the Competition Bureau’s ongoing investigation.
Oct. 25 2023: Canada Bread files a statement of defence in the Ontario class action denying participating in the alleged conspiracy and saying any anti-competitive behaviour it participated in was at the direction and to the benefit of its then-majority owner Maple Leaf Foods, which is not a defendant in the case (neither is its current owner Grupo Bimbo). Maple Leaf calls Canada Bread’s accusations “baseless.”
Dec. 20, 2023: Metro files new documents in the Ontario class action accusing Loblaw and its parent company George Weston of conspiring to implicate it in the alleged scheme, denying involvement. Sobeys has made a similar claim. The two companies deny the allegations.
July 25, 2024: Loblaw and George Weston say they agreed to pay a combined $500 million to settle both the Ontario and Quebec class-action lawsuits. Loblaw’s share of the settlement includes a $96-million credit for the gift cards it gave out years earlier.
Sept. 12, 2024: Canada Bread files new documents in Ontario court as part of the class action, claiming Maple Leaf used it as a “shield” to avoid liability in the alleged scheme. Maple Leaf was a majority shareholder of Canada Bread until 2014, and the company claims it’s liable for any price-fixing activity. Maple Leaf refutes the claims.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:L, TSX:MFI, TSX:MRU, TSX:EMP.A, TSX:WN)
TORONTO – TD Bank Group, which is mired in a money laundering scandal in the U.S., says chief executive Bharat Masrani will retire next year.
Masrani, who will retire officially on April 10, 2025, says the bank’s, “anti-money laundering challenges,” took place on his watch and he takes full responsibility.
The bank named Raymond Chun, TD’s group head, Canadian personal banking, as his successor.
As part of a transition plan, Chun will become chief operating officer on Nov. 1 before taking over the top job when Masrani steps down at the bank’s annual meeting next year.
TD also announced that Riaz Ahmed, group head, wholesale banking and president and CEO of TD Securities, will retire at the end of January 2025.
TD has taken billions in charges related to ongoing U.S. investigations into the failure of its anti-money laundering program.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
