Nestlé And Tim Hortons Named Canada'S Top Plastic Polluters

King thinks much of the trash found during cleanups may have been disposed of properly, but spilled into the environment by wind or storms. Based on the Canadian results, she added, it didn't seem that easily recyclable items, like plastic bottles, were less common than ones that are more difficult to recycle, like coffee cups or food wrappers.

Many of the companies cited have more than one brand. When Greenpeace looked at brands only, both Tim Hortons and Starbucks made the top five. She hopes the findings of the audit will have an impact on the companies that were responsible, and get them to recognize that simply making single-use plastics recyclable isn't the solution.

"We really want the companies to recognize, 'Look the efforts that you've made or that you're stating that you're making aren't good enough. ' You actually have to reduce your production of these products if want to be sure that they're not going to be ending up in their environment, in our oceans and polluting communities. "

How one Canadian food court eliminated 117 bags of garbage a dayHow 'greener' plastic packaging became a problem — and how to fix itKing firmly believes that it's the companies that make the products that should be responsible, not the consumer. "We aren't given a lot of options for buying food and household products in plastic-free packaging, " she said.

She thinks consumers can have the biggest impact by pushing companies for reusable and refillable alternatives to single-use plastic packaging. A World Cleanup Day volunteer collects trash in Halifax. Greenpeace said it didn't seem that easily recyclable items, like plastic bottles, were less common than ones that are more difficult to recycle, like coffee cups or food wrappers.

Dirk Matten, a professor who holds the Hewlett-Packard Chair in Corporate Social Responsibility at York University's Schulich School of Business, said he thinks Greenpeace's audit is a "very skillful and effective" way to address plastic pollution. "These companies actually use plastic that contributes to this massive problem to deliver their products and, I think by this, are forced to think about a more environmental friendly way of doing this, " he said. He added that Greenpeace's report could influence organizations like governments and universities in their purchasing decisions. "

To the corporations, I would say don't fight it, " he said. "Collaborate, address this constructively". Cutlery you can eat: One company's approach to the plastic pollution problem'We need to rethink the entire plastics industry': Why banning plastic straws isn't enough kinds of packaging that are a pain in the blue boxHe added that Greenpeace is an international organization with a lot of experience that could be used as a resource in finding solutions. As for consumers, he says, they should also be disciplined about their use and disposal of these products.