Eco Guardian wins Sobeys’ Plastic Waste Challenge

Eco Guardian, a Newmarket, Ont.-based retail packaging supplier, wins Sobeys’ Plastic Waste Challenge with a sugarcane and bamboo fibre packaging. Eco Guardian is a Canadian-owned business with 17 years of experience in the packaging industry.

Launched in March, the Plastic Waste Challenge seeks to identify commercially viable alternatives for hard-to-recycle plastic meat and seafood trays in stores.

Eco Guardian will receive a $25,000 cash prize from Sobeys, as well as the opportunity to engage in discussions with Sobeys around piloting the concept in select Sobeys stores in Nova Scotia, a 12-month residency package with Ignite Atlantic, and continued engagement with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). Additionally, Divert NS will contribute up to an additional $25,000 to support the launch of the potential pilot.

“We are proud to congratulate Eco Guardian on winning Sobeys’ first Plastic Waste Challenge. The Plastic Waste Challenge evaluated the technical attributes and commercial viability of proposed alternatives to polystyrene trays, a hard-to-recycle plastic commonly used in grocery stores to package meat and seafood. Five other organizations entered the final pitch competition. Though the talent and innovation of these organizations was without question, Eco Guardian’s sugarcane and bamboo fibre trays stood apart as having the potential to eliminate hard-to-recycle waste from our stores,” said Eli Browne, director of corporate sustainability at Sobeys.