Reduce plastic waste

With environmental awareness ever increasing, most of us are familiar with the three Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. But you may want to consider a fourth R, especially when it comes to excess plastic packaging and plastic waste: reject.

In 2002, Statistics Canada estimated that Canadians produce more than 30 million tonnes of waste per year and, according to the Recycling Council of Ontario, approximately 30 per cent of that garbage is made of plastic -- things like packaging, food containers, bottles and the ubiquitous plastic grocery bags. 

That waste ends up in landfills, incinerated or in the ocean, where it pollutes and where harmful toxins contained in the plastics can leach into soil or water. Those toxins, in turn, can wind up in our food, water or air (if incinerated) and can, in some cases, lead to health problems like asthma, infertility, cancer and even miscarriage. The production of plastics is also a drain on natural resources and the chemicals involved contribute to global warming. With concerns of global warming and healthy living, what can you do to reduce plastic waste?

A lot, it turns out, and here are five steps to get you started:

1. Speak softly, if you like, but carry a big pen
Never underestimate the power of a well-written letter. If you're concerned about excess plastic packaging, write a letter to companies that are guilty of overpackaging and let them know that their practices keep you from buying their products. Contact your provincial ministry (or department) of the environment to push for better legislation, or support environmentally friendly initiatives already in place, like the proposed levy on plastic grocery bags in Ontario. If corporations and politicians crave public support, let them know where you stand so you can encourage change.

2. Give as good (or bad) as you get
Stuck with a pile of plastic wrap from an overpackaged product? Since most corporations include their address somewhere on their packaging, take all that excess plastic and send it back to the company that produced it -- specifically, to its chief executive officer. This can be especially effective if it's a large volume of plastic waste collected together by a group of like-minded consumers.

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