Single-Use Plastic Ban in London Gets Shoppers to Use Alternatives Made of Bamboo and Corn

Since the federal government announced a ban on single-use plastic in June, small grocery shops in London, Ontario are looking for alternatives.

With a few exceptions, businesses won't be allowed to import or produce checkout bags, non-recyclable takeout containers, cutlery, stir sticks, or straws by the end of 2022. Sales will end a year later. It's all part of the Liberal government's goal to reach zero plastic waste by 2030.

The Effort and the COVID Confusion

Will Willemsen, the owner of Sunripe Freshmarket, said that they are trying their best to deal with the recently imposed ban even though change is never easy. There are three Sunripe Freshmarket locations in Sarnia and London.

At their store, there has been a constant effort to reduce plastic. The store owner claims that they simply continue working on one project at a time, trying to address it incrementally.

Currently being considered is the switch to corn-based shopping bags, which are biodegradable. They've been exploring options for more than a year and, according to Willemsen, they are "pretty confident" they've found a keeper. Customers have been understanding during the trials of different shopping bags, he said. The store owner found that paper bags are too big to ship and store.

Customers are aware that store owners are trying new things when things go wrong, bags tear, or they are unable to get the bags to open.

Additionally, tests for cardboard takeout containers coated in wax and a bamboo alternative to plastic cutlery are in progress, according to Willemsen. He claimed that the soup now also comes in a glass container.

Despite its difficulties, Willemsen noted that the best time to address the issue is before it reaches a landfill. The proprietor of the shop promised to assist in any way they could.

Due to consumer demand for more plastic protection on their produce, the pandemic also caused a delay in the effort to reduce plastic use.

One Good Step for Mankind

Husam Mohammed, the proprietor of Berries Market located on Wharncliffe Road, is also searching for ways to adjust to the changes.

Currently, he has been saving empty boxes that shoppers can pack their groceries in and has observed how it works at other stores. He claimed that he could not envision how things would function without plastic.

Mohammed considers this system to be a "really good" one because it has so far helped him save recycling while also providing custom boxes for his customers.

Mohammed is also searching for paper bags at reasonable prices. Even though he claimed there was nothing that prepared them for the ban, he is still optimistic that the plan will be successful.

A portion of the ban will go into effect in December, but six-pack ring carriers made of plastic will still be permitted. The exceptions are bendable plastic straws, which will be limited in use but not prohibited if they are required for accessibility or medical reasons.

Mohammed claimed that despite their difficulty, the changes will be an improvement and a positive step for the environment.

Reusable Reminders

To comply with the ban, Alicja Sikorski is depending on her customers to bring their reusable containers and shopping bags. The East London supermarket was established more than 40 years ago by the owner of Alicia's Fine Foods, a European retailer with Polish ancestry.

According to Sikorski, it takes time for customers to alter their routines and remember to bring their shopping bags. Although she still has some plastic bags on hand in case customers need them, she stopped purchasing plastic bags with the store's logo a year ago. At the register, various types of reusable bags are for sale.

She claimed that although they are attempting to persuade customers, they do provide alternatives to plastic bags. They sell green bags and reusable bags for a reasonable price.

She claimed that the types of groceries they sell, such as cheeses, cold cuts, and dairy products, don't work well in paper bags, CBC Canada reports.

Sikorski is supportive of the ban on single-use plastics in general and believes it should have been implemented sooner rather than later because so much plastic is produced and it is "not evaporating." Like everyone else, Sikorski is contributing her fair share.