Single use plastic items are a real scourge, in Laval as elsewhere. Disposable food containers, plastic utensils, paper bags… Our consumption of these items has undergone a new boom since the beginning of the pandemic. In other words, take-out meals are all the rage!
To tackle this major issue, a new municipal regulation banning the distribution of non-recyclable or non-compostable single use items was implemented in May 2022 in Laval.
It is this particular context that inspired the Conseil régional de l’environnement (CRE) de Laval to offer a free accompaniment service, as part of its project Destination reduction. This service is intended for Laval-based food and catering sectors wishing to change their habits for more ecoresponsible alternatives.
The purpose of the project: raise awareness and accompany food businesses and restaurants towards the adoption of source reduction and reuse practices to limit waste generation from the food sector.
Starting now, your enterprise can enjoy our personalized accompaniment service: in accordance with your reality and needs, our specialists can offer tailor made solutions for the implementation of concrete actions allowing to pair economic advantages and environmental benefits.
Implementation and objectives
The project Destination reduction is two-fold. The first part consists of an education, information and awareness raising campaign while the second one focuses on the implementation and deployment of Retournzy’s reusable containers service.
General objectives
- Inform and educate about environmental externalities linked to the use of different single use items;
- Present alternatives to disposable plastic items (bioplastics and others) while discussing issues related to recycling and life cycle of each alternative to make the choosing process easier;
- Present alternatives to single use items revolving around the source of reduction at source paired to a list of actions to accomplish according to their level of difficulty;
- Explain the reuse principle, present these applications in the food and catering sector;
- Highlight container systems based on the deposit system by presenting the modes of operation of Retournzy and La vague’s services. Facilitate the implementation of Retournzy’s offer.
Specific objectives
- Educate over 300 food and catering businesses in Laval;
- Reach a minimum volume of 500 to 700 kg of single use items not distributed;
- Have a minimum of 40 restaurants or shops adopting new practices;
- Have a minimum of 5 caterers and 15 food stores participating to Retournzy’s reusable containers service.
The Destination reduction project will be deployed until September 2024 through an education, information and awareness raising campaign.
Contact
Francis Bertrand, Environment and Residual materials management project manager
francis.bertrand@credelaval.qc.ca
Press release (in French)
June 7, 2023 - Projet Destination réduction: pour la réduction des déchets du secteur alimentaire
Flyer for food business and restaurant owners (in French)
Media publications
June 14, 2023 - Article in Courrier Laval: Plats à emporter: le CRE combat les plastiques à usage unique
