Compostable
vs Covid 

 

2020 has thrown our North-American culture a major curve-ball, with the Corona virus sweeping across the continent, and the world. From handshakes to hockey, we’ve had to consider what behaviours and activities we need to shelve for now, or possibly forever.

 

Growing concern about reusable bags

As this crisis evolves, new information is constantly emerging about how to best prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep our families and our communities safe. Recently, uncertainty about the safety of reusable bags for both retail store staff and their customers has started to make headlines.  A study published on March 17, 2020 by the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that the virus is still viable on plastic after 72 hours, allowing for the virus to be carried both into and out of stores on this type of material.

 

Government response

Elected officials have responded differently, with several U.S. states temporarily banning the use of reusable bags while others have delayed planned bans on single-use plastic bags.  B.C’s Ministry of Health issued “guidance” to food stores, saying they need to provide clean carry-out bags for groceries, not customers’ reusable bags or packaging.  Major retailers have varied in their stance, with chains like Superstore asking customers to refrain from bringing their own reusable bags.

 

Finding alternate options

Many retailers are either delaying their move away from plastic bags or reverting back to the packaging they had already vowed to leave behind. Another option has quietly entered the market recently, and is both good for our health and the environment. Compostable plastic bags provide customers with the peace of mind of a single use bag without contributing to plastic waste.  Simply shop & reuse your bag in your compost bin. 

Join us in ending the pollution of plastic, and build a greener future for all. Contact us to fill in all of the blanks, and answer your questions about this growing opportunity.  refreshpackaging.ca/contact

Check out more on this topic here:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/reusable-shopping-bag-covid-19-1.5518765

 

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