Le Journal de Montréal
Special Report from Dany Doucet
Saturday, January 29, 2011
ENVIRONMENT
Q.
A.
Why do we want to reduce the amount of Plastic Bags worldwide?
All too often they were found in the environment as visual pollution, consumed petroleum
for their production and even endangered some aquatic animals such as whales and turtles
who mistook them for jellyfish. The movement to reduce Plastic Bags emanates from
coastal states, notably Australia.
Q.
A.
How many Plastic Bags are used in Québec?
Even today, Recyc-Québec estimates the number of Plastic Bags distributed annually to be
between 1.4 and 2.7 billion, equivalent to about five bags per week per person.
Q.
A.
Has the consumption of Plastic Bags declined in the past five years?
The large grocery chains like Loblaws, Metro and Sobeys (IGA) believe that consumption of
Plastic bags has decreased by 70% to 80% since the advent of reusable bags, but most
importantly, since they charge $0.05 per unit, Québec continues to pursue it objective of
reducing consumption by 50% by 2012.
Q.
A.
How many reusable bags are in circulation?
According to Recyc-Québec, supply chains alone would have distributed 13.5 million in
Québec.
Q.
A.
What about biodegradable Plastic Bags
These bags (known as “oxo”) are not recyclable and contaminate the recycled plastic when
they are combined. They must be buried.
Photos show sixteen different reusable bags from different stores, as follows:
Store:
Plastic:
Place of Mfg:
IGA Nos Compliments
Non-Recyclable
China
Store:
Plastic:
Place of Mfg:
Metro (Large)
Non-Recyclable
China
Store:
Plastic:
Place of Mfg:
Archambault
Non-Recyclable
Unknown
Store:
Plastic:
Place of Mfg:
Ikea
Non-Recyclable
China
Store:
Tissue:
Place of Mfg:
Loblaws
Difficult to Recycle
China
Store:
Plastic:
Place of Mfg:
Costco
Non-Recyclable
Vietnam
Store:
Plastic:
Place of Mfg:
S.A.Q.
China
Store:
Plastic:
Place of Mfg:
S.A.Q.
Difficult to Recycle
China
Store:
Plastic:
Place of Mfg:
Yves Rocher
Non-Recyclable
China
Store:
Plastic:
Place of Mfg:
Metro (Small)
Non-Recyclable
China
Store:
Plastic:
Place of Mfg:
Groupe BMR
Non Recyclable
Unknown
Store:
Plastic:
Place of Mfg:
IGA
Non-Recyclable as is
Québec
Store:
Plastic:
Place of Mfg:
Adonis
Non-Recyclable as is
China
Store:
Plastic:
Place of Mfg:
Super C
Non-Recyclable
China
Store:
Plastic:
Place of Mfg:
Chao Phraya
Non-Recyclable as is
China
2
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
Maison du Roti
Difficult to Recycle
Pakistan
Twenty reusable bags used in Québec were randomly selected by Le Journal de Montréal to ask
operators of recycling companies what they did with them when they received them.
Conclusion: In all cases, these bags were sent to the landfill. Some plastic bags could be recycled
if they were separated for the tissue, plastic or nylon, for example, which is not done. The cloth
bags cannot be recycled in sorting centers so are forwarded for selective collection. Other bags are
not recyclable because they contain too much non-recyclable material.
 The materials were identified by sorting according to their appearance or not their distributors
 The source of bags is indicated on all labels found in the bags.
WHY ARE THEY ARE NOT RECYCLABLE?
There are no standards guiding the manufacture of reusable bags, allowing producers to make the
bags with different materials that are not recyclable. As this is the case, eventually these bags will
be put in landfills instead of giving them new life as other products.
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Some bags have grommets or metal rings that must be removed before recycling.
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In order to be stronger, the bags are sewn with a reinforcement in fabric. These fibers are
not recyclable and can even contaminate the recycled plastic.
-
The handles on recyclable bags are capable of carrying more merchandise than a traditional
Plastic Bag, and therefore, the material used must be strong enough to last several years.
This material is usually not recyclable.
-
The closures are made of different types of material and can usually be removed easily.
REUSABLE, BUT NOT RECYCLABLE
REUSABLE BAGS ARE NOT AS “ECO” FRIENDLY AS WE BELIEVE . . . SORTING CENTRES SEND THEM DIRECTLY
TO THE DUMP.
Consumers believe that they are taking an important step for the environment when they
use their reusable bags, but the truth is not as green as it appears.
Five years after their introduction into the market as a replacement for traditional Plastic Bags,
reusable bags are now reaching the end of their useful life, revealing a fault we had not
anticipated: most are not recyclable.
For this reason, these bags are now on their way to the dumps of Québec instead of being
recycled, Le Journal de Montreal discovered, unlike the Plastic Bags they replaced, which are
completely recyclable in Québec (see tomorrow’s report) .
Because the recyclable bags torn or have become too worn out, consumers dispose of them by
placing them in their recycling bin. The 38 sorting centers in Québec are now seeing them appear
more and more often.
There however, they are excluded from the recovery process and placed in containers of waste that
will be taken to the landfill, or they will be buried.
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Reusable plastic bags could possibly be salvaged, but most of them are equipped with handles
made of fabric, often with metal grommets or rings, lined with walls made of polyester or other
materials; in short, contaminants”, which are unacceptable during the process of recycling plastic.
Recyclability of a product is nevertheless one of the three basic criteria for it to be considered
"green" (as shown below).
Unrecoverable Bags
"The problem of reusable bags is that they were not designed to be recovered and recycled,"
explains Michel Camirant, Director General of the RCM Group, a major sorting center located at
Yamachiche, in the Mauricie.
Rather they are designed to be attractive . . . very economical. Most are manufactured in China.
"We will have to impose standards on those who make them. Right now, what we see is that they
go directly landfill," says Johny Izzy, Director General of the two sorting centers operated by
Gaudreau Environnement in Victoriaville. "We get an outstanding amount here, but send them
directly to the landfill,” notes Andre Poitras, Director General of the V1A Company, which operates
sorting centers for Québec, Lévy and Rivière-du-Loup. The company asks consumers not to place
reusable bags in their blue bins.
They Become Waste
"At the rate that objects recovered on our mechanical carpet (10 to 15 tons of material an hour), it
is unthinkable to have to start cutting up these bags to separate the different components," says
Camirand.
The S.A.Q. is one of the few companies to distribute bags made of a single material, either plastic,
nylon or fabric. However, no Québec Recycler has yet been able to transform these bags, so they
are exported to China, where they are often burned, for energy purposes, with other bags, if they
have not already been thrown in the garbage here.
Reusable bags made entirely of fabric can be recycled in some industries into rags, but the
recovery network is not readily accessible to the common consumer. The cloth bags are more
resistant, however, and are easier to wash and repair.
"When they are damaged, we suggest turning them into rags,” notes Rebecca Salesse,
spokeswoman for Recyc-Québec, the provincial agency responsible for the development of waste.
The Three « R ‘s »
In ecological jargon, we say that a product is considered green when it complies with the
three R’s.
- Reduce
- Reuse
- Recycle
Reusable bags meet the first two criteria, because of the quantity of bags used, and of
course, because they are reusable, but not the third, because in practice most of them
are not recyclable. The bags they replace do not meet the first criterion, but partially the
second (they often have other uses such as garbage bags) and can be recycled.
Le Journal de Montréal
Special Report from Dany Doucet
Sunday, January 30, 2011
IS IT BETTER TO USE A DOZEN REUSABLE BAGS, MADE IN ASIA, FOR FIVE YEARS, WHICH YOU NEED TO WASH
REGULARLY, BUT ARE NOT RECYCLABLE . . . OR USE 350 PLASTIC BAGS PER YEAR, WHICH ARE COMPLETELY
RECYCLABLE AND WHICH CAN BE REUSED AS GARBAGE BAGS?
PLASTIC BAGS ARE RECYCLABLE
The arrival of the first used reusable bags in the sorting centres where they are almost
automatically diverted to the dumps as revealed in Le Journal yesterday comes at the
same time that Québec finally acquires the capacity to recycle all plastic bags normally
used here.
These days, the RCM Group has started unloading new equipment at its plant in Yamachiche, in the
Mauricie, which will allow them to recycle resin beads from almost all plastic bags distributed in
Québec, particularly those in grocery stores.
Recyc-Québec estimates that between 1.2 and 2.4 billion plastic bags are still distributed annually
in the province.
Until now, they were considered harmful waste because of their non-recyclability, their dispersal in
nature and the use of petroleum in their manufacture.
The factory in Yamachiche may change the ecological equation by giving them a second life in
other plastic products.
Especially since the reusable bags to replace them are still not recyclable, as revealed in The
Journal yesterday.
"We can receive all the grocery bags from Québec, Ontario and the Maritimes," says Michel
Camirand, CEO of RCM Group.
THE QUESTIONS THAT ARISE
The question now arise: Is it better to use a dozen reusable bags for five years (this seems to be
their lifetime), manufactured in Asia (in unknown conditions), and which should be washed
regularly, but are not recyclable . . . or use 350 plastic bags per year (the average per person),
which are completely recyclable and can be partially reused for household waste?
In other words, which of the two bags now leaves a smaller environmental footprint?
"It is not a silly question. Yes, the question has come up, but I have no answer," said Catherine
Reid, a Chemical Engineer at the Interuniversity Research Centre on the Life Cycle of Products,
Processes and Services (CIRAIG) from the École Polytechnique de Montréal.
"There will come a time to ask the question," says Izzy Johny, Managing Director at Gaudreau
Environment, Victoriaville, which operates two of the largest sorting offices in Québec.
OUR FILE
Yesterday: Reusable Bags are not Recyclable.
Tomorrow: Lead Paint Used on Your Recyclable Bags Made in China.
Tuesday: Bacteria in Your Bags.
Photo shows Michel Camirand, CEO of MCM Group holding a flower pot made from resin beads from
recycled plastic grocery bags using thirty and three plastic multilayered containers.
Le Journal de Montréal
Special Report from Dany Doucet
Q.
A.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Why is lead considered toxic?
Lead is a highly toxic metal, especially for children. Even small amounts of dust containing
lead are dangerous to infants and children. Lead absorbed by the mother can also affect
the health of the unborn child. Lead poisoning can cause anemia and can also affect the
brain and nervous system, causing learning disabilities.
(Source Health Canada)
Q.
A.
What is the acceptable amount of lead in products?
According to many, there is no acceptable amount. Moreover, governments are becoming
more stringent in this regard. On November 29, 2010, the Federal government adopted
regulations among the toughest in the world that fixed 0.90 mg/kg as the amount of lead in
several products, especially those for children, but also including paint.
Q.
A.
In which form is lead the most toxic?
Lead is most dangerous when it detaches from the product. This happens when the paint is
peeling in a house or when a child chews a toy containing lead. When a reusable bag
begins to deteriorate, this may constitute a danger to the soil. Finally, when objects
decompose in a landfill, there is also a danger of contamination of surface and ground water.
LEAD IN PAINT
Recyclable bags often display a variety of colors. Many wear colorful logos of the stores that
distribute them.
Recyclable bags often display a variety of colors. Many wear colorful logos of the stores that
distribute them. It is this paint that is problematic. Moreover, lead found in the bags analyzed for
Le Journal was only in certain colors.
Lead paint is still used in China, where many of these bags are manufactured at low cost.
Moreover, China was embroiled in several controversies on this subject, particularly with regard to
the paint used in toys for children.
One example among many: Mattel recalled a million toys made in China in 2007 because they
contained lead paint. This paint has the distinction of costing three times less than paint with low
lead content.
POLITICALLY CORRECT, BUT . . .
Consumers have become conscientious overnight by using reusable shopping bags without knowing
the existence of other hitherto unknown problems, including their non-recyclability and how they
are manufactured, including their lead content.
“Consumers think they are doing something good for the environment as they use these cheap
bags when shopping, but they can contribute to other problems,” says Hugh Rodrigues, Director of
Thorton Laboratories which tested reusable bags for the Journal de Montréal.
Mr. Rodrigues has made other kinds of tests, notably for the Tampa Bay Tribune, in his laboratory
in Florida, which was founded in 1922. They had obtained substantially similar results.
"It's politically correct to walk around with a reusable bag, he says, but we must move to a new
stage now and ensure that after their useful life, they (the bags) do not deteriorate the
environment because they contain lead, which will spread into the soil during decomposition."
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2
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Photos show sixteen different reusable bags from different stores, as follows:
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
Archambault
Negative
Not specified
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
Costco
Negative
China
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
S.A.Q.
21 mg/kg-Negative
China
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
IGA
Negative
Canada
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
Yves Rocher (Large)
276 mg/kg-Positive
China
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
Yves Rocher (Small)
245 mg/kg-Positive
China
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
Groupe BMR
109 mg/kg-Positive
Unknown
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
Super C
2.7 mg/kg-Negative
China
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
Adonis
Negative
China
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
Nos Compliments
721 mg/kg-Positive
China
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
Sac Chao-Phraya
Negative
China
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
Petit Sac Métro
2.1 mg/kg-Negative
China
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
Sac Métro
2.3 mg/kg-Negative
China
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
Petit Sac Métro
2.1 mg/kg-Negative
China
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
Ikea
Negative
China
Store:
Tested:
Place of Mfg:
S.A.Q.
Negative
China
Twenty bags were randomly selected by Le Journal de Montréal to be tested in the laboratory for
lead content. Different sections of the bags, chosen according to color, were cut for analysis. Four
plastic bags out of sixteen tested positive for excessive lead content, while others contained only
low levels or none at all.
TOXIC PARTS OF THE BAGS
SOME REUSABLE BAGS CONTAIN HIGH LEVELS OF LEAD
Not only are reusable bags no recyclable through curbside recycling, as revealed in Le
Journal de Montréal this weekend, but some of them are colored with paint contain a lot
of lead, which is very toxic.
This was the results of a laboratory study conducted on behalf of Le Journal de Montreal.
Twenty reusable bags were randomly chosen were tested, sixteen of which were plastic.
A quarter of them contained enough lead paint to make them, by some standards, toxic products.
These results correspond to that of a similar study conducted by a newspaper in Florida on
reusable bags from large grocery chains, which were also made in China. These bags do not
necessarily represent a direct threat to consumers because lead paint is on the outer wall.
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3
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However, when those millions of bags will decompose in landfills, where they have begun to arrive
because they are not recyclable, lead eventually breaks off and contaminates the soil.
Already, Recyc-Québec estimates that 13.5 million reusable bags have been distributed here by the
grocery chains alone.
Health Canada has assessed that "lead-containing” products such as paint chips and batteries
should not be disposed of with household waste.
There is no limit in Québec for waste with lead content, but in some U.S. states, they cannot be
disposed of in conventional landfills.
MADE IN CHINA
These reusable bags are attractive and fashionable. They are generally inexpensive, but of
unequal quality. The majority are made in China, often in questionable conditions.
Moreover, in recent years, China has been involved in several controversies regarding lead paint
(see other article) used in its exported products.
One of the bags tested by Le Journal, that of the “Our Compliments” brand from the grocery chain
IGA (Sobeys), displayed high elements of lead to a concentration of 721 mg/kg, more than eight
times the new Canadian standard for many consumer products.
"The results of our own tests are quite different," replied Marie-Hélène Lavoie, spokesman for the
chain, ensuring that the reusable bags sold by Sobeys were regularly tested in the laboratory,
especially for lead.
Sobeys, as all the major chains, however, import millions of bags and cannot test them all.
Our laboratory is like a photograph taken in time. The picture would have been different with a
different sampling of the same bags in one way or another.
Note:
On Saturday, Le Journal revealed that because the bags were composed of different materials
(plastic, fabric, nylon), these reusable bags are not recyclable in Québec sorting centres and end
up in landfills. They mush be dismantled for recycling, which is impossible to do during the triage
process.