In fall of 2020, the federal government launched the first phase of its plan to reduce waste by announcing its single use plastics ban. This ban targeted items such as plastic grocery bags, cutlery, stir sticks, ring carriers for beverage cans and flexible straws sold with beverage containers.

There was little if any impact to the fruit and vegetable industry in this initial round; the same cannot be said, however, for the second phase unveiled by the federal government in 2023.

Most prominent is the government’s pollution prevention plan notice which would set requirements for large grocery retailers to prepare and implement plans with an aim towards zero plastic waste from primary food packaging. Specific targets include selling at least 75 per cent of fresh fruits and vegetables in bulk or plastic-free packaging by 2026 and at least 95 per cent by 2028.

The government also proposed regulation to ban non-compostable PLU stickers, which will be phased in as voluntary by 2028 and mandatory by 2030 and is preparing a group two list of single-use plastic items that will also be banned.

Although all of these actions are currently on hold while the government appeals last November’s Federal Court decision that declared its labelling of all plastic manufactured items as toxic as both unreasonable and unconstitutional, that doesn’t mean the industry isn’t taking action.

The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) is working closely with Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) and the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) to make government aware of the serious concerns and challenges this raises for fruit and vegetable growers, the produce supply chain, the environment and Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

Food affordability and availability: In many cases, practical, workable alternatives to plastic packaging do not yet exist or are not affordable options. As well, bulk sales are not feasible for many types of fruits or vegetables due to their delicate nature and how quickly they can spoil, which will make it more complicated and more expensive for homegrown fruits and vegetables to reach consumers.

This means these new rules will have negative impacts on food availability and affordability, particularly in rural and remote regions where food is already expensive and food availability is often a critical issue. Canadians are already struggling with the lingering effects of high inflation and research by Deloitte shows this will only exacerbate the situation by increasing the cost of fresh produce by 34 per cent over current levels.

It is also estimated these new regulations will reduce fresh produce availability for Canadians by more than 50 per cent, and in their current form, will result in a near total elimination of value-added produce products  -- bagged salads, for example – reducing market value by approximately $5.6 billion according to a study by Deloitte.

Food waste and climate change: plastic packaging is used to protect produce from harvest to home – think delicate berries – and to extend shelf life. Various studies show that reducing or eliminating this packaging will increase food waste by more than 50 per cent while also increasing the production and release of greenhouse gases by the produce supply chain by more than 50 per cent.

Food safety and health care: There will also be an increased risk of food safety incidents and food-borne illness, and overall, these actions are expected to come with increased health care costs of more than $1 billion a year as Canadians reduce their fresh produce consumption. Market research shows two-thirds of Canadians are concerned about the potential price consequences for fresh fruits and vegetables from these actions.

Simply put, fresh produce packaging is not a luxury; it’s critical to the sustainability of the global produce supply chain. And with hundreds of different crops, the fruit and vegetable industry needs a portfolio of sustainable packaging solutions – after all, what works for apples or peppers, doesn’t work for berries or lettuce, for example.

The industry has long been working on adopting more sustainable solutions, such as recyclable or compostable packaging. However, Canada’s recycling infrastructure is patchy at best, differing between provinces and even municipalities, and isn’t well equipped to handle food-grade materials.

Work is also underway on developing biodegradable plastics and other innovative packaging options, but progress takes time and new solutions must be both practical and price competitive in order be adopted. 

There are ways other than blanket bans that the government can use to encourage pollution reduction and make a positive difference for the environment. OFVGA will continue to work with FVGC and CPMA on this important file - zero plastic waste does not have to mean zero plastic use.

Jan VanderHout is a greenhouse vegetable grower in Waterdown and chair of the  Environment and Conservation Committee, Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association.