Montreal — In reaction to Metro’s announcement of their new paper and plastic packaging policy, Sarah King, Greenpeace Canada’s Head of Oceans & Plastics Campaign said:

“Canadians have made it very clear that they want supermarkets to ditch single-use plastics and stop over-packaging their products. A petition to major Canadian retailers including Metro got over 100,000 signatures in just two weeks. Metro offered hope for a real commitment to reduce its plastic footprint and focus on refill and reuse when it announced its plans to allow customers to bring their own containers. Unfortunately, this latest policy means that customers’ grocery carts will still overflow with plastic packaging that will mainly end up in landfills, or even the environment.

A promise to reduce the number of single-use plastic shopping bags by 50% in Metro’s stores by 2023 is a farce, when across Canada and around the world, provinces and countries are banning bags outright. Instead of vague promises “to reduce” over-packaging and single-use plastics, and making Metro brand products recyclable, Metro, and all supermarkets, should set concrete goals to completely remove the most problematic single-use plastic packaging from their shelves, while working with suppliers to provide alternatives to consumers centred on a refill and reuse model.

If Metro truly feels that the measures it is putting forward will responsibly and effectively address the massive plastic waste crisis, it hasn’t been paying enough attention to its customers or the growing movement of people and businesses working towards actual solutions.”

-30-

 

For more information please contact:

Philippa Duchastel de Montrouge, Communications Officer, Greenpeace Canada, [email protected];  +1 (514) 929-8227