Those who regularly read my columns are undoubtedly aware how rarely I praise multi-national corporations.
After all, many global giants do not seem to be particularly preoccupied with the long-term impacts of their operations on the planet. The insatiable crusade to maximize short-term profits — often at a great environmental cost — tends to trump all other considerations.
But sometimes, credit must be given where credit is due.
For some time now, I’ve noticed that fast-food packaging from A&W boasts a new kind of symbol.
We’re all accustomed to seeing a numbered recycling sign on an assortment of plastic products.
But I had not previously come across a compostable symbol, which is basically represented by a leaf in a circle. The burger behemoth now makes its napkins as well as the packaging for burgers and fries compostable. Rinsed out, their cups are also recyclable.
That is the kind of forward-thinking approach consumers should not only be keeping an eye out for and supporting, but also demanding.
That so many restaurants and fast-food joints still use Styrofoam in a time when our oceans are increasingly amassing massive accumulations of plastic trash seems to me nothing less than flabbergasting.
Walking along the trails in Sundre, stumbling upon part of a discarded Styrofoam tray is not necessarily a frequent occurrence. Yet it sure isn’t unheard of either.
But if at least the packaging were compostable, the environmental impact would be reduced. And properly disposed of in a compost bin means that much less refuse ending up buried in a landfill.
I have previously written about the need for society to shift towards a more conscientious consumer culture away from the current convenience consumer culture.
Of course the onus lies not only on the shoulders of corporations but also consumers themselves, whose trends and expectations often dictate the behaviour of companies that seek to tap into popular sentiment and avoid punitive backlash such as boycotts.
That means thinking twice about what we buy and taking a few moments to properly sort our materials and reduce how much waste goes in the garbage — waste that should otherwise have been either recycled or composted.
Companies like A&W seem to be starting to play their part to reduce waste; now consumers must also step up to the plate.
