For the second year in a row, Tim Hortons has been revealed to be one of the country's worst plastic polluters, joining Nestle and Starbucks on the worst-in-Canada list. A new report has found that their plastic bottles, coffee cups, lids, and other branded plastic waste were some of the most common items recorded during Canada-wide beach and ocean cleanups. Over the past couple of months, Greenpeace has been working with the Break Free From Plastic movement, and they have completed brand audits country-wide in order to uncover Canada’s worst offending plastic polluters. According to the report, thousands of volunteers spent hundreds of hours sifting through Canada’s discarded plastic packaging, which had all been retrieved from beaches, rivers, shorelines, and oceans in Canada. The branding of these items was noted and logged, and the report has officially concluded the country’s worst plastic polluters. Joining Nestle, Tim Hortons and Starbucks, it was McDonald's and the Coca-Cola Company that rounded out the top five worst offenders. View this post on Instagram @TimHortons - Torontonians have called on you to stop serving #plastic trash. It’s time you listen and show leadership. #breakfreefromplastic #reuserevolution #shameofthrones #gameofthrones #got #nuitblanche #nbTO19 A post shared by Greenpeace Canada (@greenpeace_canada) on Oct 5, 2019 at 9:39pm PDT According to the report, the most common plastic items found on Canada's shorelines included cigarette butts, bottles and bottle caps, food wrappers, cups and lids, plastic bags, straws, and stir sticks. Sarah King, head of Greenpeace Canada's oceans and plastics campaign, told CBC News that their primary goal was to "hold companies accountable for the plastic pollution problem that they continue to create." View this post on Instagram British lawmakers warn that replacing plastic with alternatives is not the solution, and could in fact worsen the marine pollution problem. We don't need alternatives. We need reduction. The SOLUTION is Zero Waste ♻️ #breakfreefromplastic movement members @eiaenvironment & @greenalliance share their views in the full article. See the link in our profile for more info 👆 #breakfreefromplastic #plasticpollutes #reduce #planetnotplastic #beatplasticpollution #zerowaste #GoForZeroWaste #changethestory #recyclingisnotenough #cleanseas #storyofplastic #saveourseas A post shared by #breakfreefromplastic (@breakfreefromplastic) on Sep 17, 2019 at 6:04am PDT The report explained, “...It’s impossible to count the number of [Tim Hortons] coffee cups or lids I have seen or picked up along a highway, in a park, on a beach or along a river. So it’s no wonder that the prevalence of these cups at our cleanup and audit locations landed this company in the second top polluter spot in Canada.” It added, "I wonder what Sidney Crosby and other hockey players think about their face being on those cups now?” Greenpeace | Greenpeace.org Speaking to Narcity about the Greenpeace report, a Tim Hortons spokesperson explained, "We believe that we have a responsibility to contribute to a clean environment." They went on to note that they have offered a 10-cent discount to anyone who brings a reusable mug since 1978, and confirmed that they're also launching a new $1.99 reusable cup. Tim Hortons also claims they have been attempting to contact Greenpeace “to discuss developing a productive relationship to assist us in accelerating our sustainability initiatives,” but have yet to receive a response. Greenpeace | Greenpeace.org This isn’t the first time Tim Hortons has been criticized for its impact on the environment. Earlier this year, their "Roll Up The Rim" promotion came under fire from Canadians, who argued that the 300 million red cups that were made for the competition would inevitably have a negative impact on the environment. The competition was not available to anyone using reusable cups or containers, meaning that you had to buy a single-use cup to enter. View this post on Instagram #Repost @plasticfree_bohol with @get_repost ・・・ The world generates 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste annually. Unless urgent action is taken, global waste will increase 70% to 3.4 billion tonnes by 2050. ____ What can we do? Ban single use plastics from our lives, homes, schools, offices/businesses and municipalities. #breakfreefromplastic #plasticfreebohol #cleanbohol #bohol #5gyresambassador #moreoceanlessplastic #ecowastecoalition A post shared by #breakfreefromplastic (@breakfreefromplastic) on Oct 8, 2019 at 8:46pm PDT Earlier this year, the federal government proposed a ban on all single-use plastics in Canada. It is not yet known exactly when this will be implemented, and exactly which products it will include. There are stories everywhere. If you spot a newsworthy event in your city, send us a message, photo, or video @NarcityCanada on Twitter and Instagram.
