Calgary Co-op customers shocked they can't use bags in composters
Calgary Co-op says they're safe and so does the City of Calgary, but a federal government agency says bags the store hands out aren't compostable.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) told the chain that it should cease its practice of passing out the bags, citing concerns that they are "problematic" and "difficult to recycle."
The decision on the grocery bags that Co-op has given out at checkout counters since 2019 also has shoppers upset.
"They are compostable. So I believe that we should be able to use them that way," Theresa Johnston said on Tuesday.
"I don't think the government should tell us that they should get rid of them."
Fellow Co-op shopper Caitlyn Axworthy says she uses them as an alternative to compost bin liners after she gets home from the grocery store.
"So that's a little sad to know that they're actually going to tell them to get rid of them."
Ken Keelor, Calgary Co-op's CEO, is standing with his customers on the issue.
"Think about this – for three years you've come to Calgary Co-op and you were pleased to be able to buy your groceries and have them bagged in compostable bags.
"We communicated along with the city that you can use them in your green bin, and you've been doing that happily. And now all of a sudden, you can't."
He also feels that ECCC's demand that he sells the compostable bags in packages on the shelf will confuse his customers.
"So you can buy them as bin liners off the shelf, but we can't bag your groceries in them. We think that's just a little unusual for our members and I think they're going to have a hard time accepting it."
CITY VOUCHES FOR CO-OP
On top of the customers being confused, it's likely there may be employees with the City of Calgary who will be equally mystified.
Sharon Howland, program management lead at the City of Calgary's Waste and Recycling Services, says the bags Co-op produces are acceptable in Calgary's Green Cart program as they will break down in the city's composting facility.
She says they are "certified" to be used to package food waste that is deposited into Calgary's green carts.
Meanwhile, plastic bags and "bio-degradable bags" are the city's biggest problem when it comes to its food and waste recycling program.
"Plastic bags interfere with the composting process and break down into small pieces of plastic that will contaminate the finished compost," Howland said.
"We encourage Calgarians to use only certified compostable bags in their green carts and to recycle plastic bags by bundling them together into a single plastic bag (don’t forget to tie it closed) and place in their blue carts."
Keelor says the city has the equipment to break down the bags and the compost they contain without issue.
ECCC, in a statement issued to CTV News on Monday, said while the bags do provide some environmental benefit, there is "no significant evidence" they can fully decompose in the natural environment.
The agency says more research needs to be done on their environmental impact before a regulations on them can be changed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.