Compostable packager raises food waste concerns in response to plastics ban

VANCOUVER — Founder and CEO of Evanesce, Douglas Horne says that while he and his company support the ban of single-use, petroleum-based plastics, they do not support the ban on compostable biopolymers.

“To attain a truly circular economy, compostable biopolymer plastics are part of the solution. We would be missing a huge opportunity to support our goal of zero waste by not allowing businesses to use these products,” Horne said in a statement.

The statement from the Vancouver-based compostable food packaging manufacturer says that adoption of compostable packaging and serviceware has been constrained by labeling issues.

Specifically, labels make differences between compostable and recyclable products difficult to discern, causing challenges for recyclers and composters alike. Evanesce firmly holds the position that inclusion of biopolymers in the most recent ban represents continued confusion. The company’s announcement also stated that the only way to reduce plastic is to make less plastic.

“We would like to see a future in which there is no plastic packaging. Not only does this make the labeling issues disappear but would represent a giant leap forward in creating a truly circular economy,” said Horne in a statement.

According to Horne, food waste emits high levels of methane gas, representing 25 times more damage to the environment than carbon dioxide typically associated with plastic production. Canada creates nearly 57 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions.