Lebouthillier
Discusses Canada’s Vision for Ocean Sustainability
Mediaplanet interviewed the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier about Canada’s ocean protection initiatives, including significant conservation investments, tackling illegal fishing, and aiming for 30 per cent protection by 2030.
What is the importance of Ocean Protection in Canada?
Canada is home to hardworking and vital fish harvesters and processors who, with our incredible resources, continue the proud tradition of producing some of the best quality fish and seafood products in the world. These are Canadians who get up early every morning to put quality fish and seafood on our plates, and who contribute to food security and a multi-billion-dollar industry that makes Canada the envy of the world.
But as we know, the issues and challenges they are facing are numerous. With climate change and the resulting warming of the oceans, everything is changing underwater right now. We are not nearing consequential changes; we are living them.
Our oceans play a complex but central role in regulating the Earth’s climate, and if we don’t protect the vital ocean ecosystems that sustain marine life, we will not have any fish left to fish. That’s only one of the many reasons why oceans protection is so consequential, and it’s why under our government, Fisheries and Oceans Canada is working to protect 30 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2030.
On March 5th, 2024, Minister Lebouthillier signed on behalf of Canada the “High-Seas Treaty”, or BBNJ Agreement, to adhere to a coordinated approach to establishing marine protected areas on the high seas beyond national jurisdiction alongside Canada’s international partners. And on March 7, 2024, minister Lebouthillier met with Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator Dr. Richard W. Spinrad in Washington to discuss shared issues between Canada and the United States, including oceans protection.
Protecting our oceans also means tackling illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing to maintain sustainable fisheries around the globe. In October 2023, DFO Fishery officers successfully completed the first Canadian-led high seas patrol to detect and deter IUU fishing in the North-Pacific alongside the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
How has Ocean Protection improved in Canada over the years?
Since 2015, tremendous progress has been made — Canada went from protecting less than 1 per cent of its oceans to over 14.6 per cent by working closely with provincial, territorial,
and Indigenous governments, and with the support and contributions of coastal communities. To be clear, collaboration is key to implementing the nature-based solutions required to help address the impacts of climate change on our marine ecosystems, their habitats, and species.
These commitments continue to be a priority, spearheaded by the most significant ocean conservation investments in a generation including: up to $800M over seven years to support up to four Indigenous-led conservation initiatives through the Project Finance for Permanence (2022), and $976.8M over five years to reach our marine conservation targets through the establishment of additional Marine protected areas (MPAs) and Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), such as marine refuges (2021).
Sip Sustainably With the Canadian Beverage Association
The Canadian Beverage Association engages consumers, producers, and the government to make non-alcoholic beverages part of the forthcoming circular economy.
Behind every cooling beverage Canadians will enjoy this summer is an organization championing sustainability in the beverage industry. Founded in 1942 to advocate for a competitive beverage industry, the Canadian Beverage Association (CBA) represents more than 60 brands of soft drinks, juices, teas, and other non-alcoholic beverages. Today, the CBA has turned it's focus towards environmental stewardship, leading proactive initiatives that advance a more circular economy. The next time you crack open a soft drink on a hot day or a sports drink after a challenging workout, remember that the CBA is working to close the loop on the circular economy — one sip at a time.
Pioneering sustainability with extended producer responsibility (ERP)
The principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is central to much of Canada's approach to corporate sustainability. EPR means beverage producers are responsible for the packaging and containers — bottles, cans, or cartons — used to transport beverages. Recovering as many beverage containers as possible and increasing Canada’s recovery rate is critical. By getting every beverage container back, we can keep valuable materials, like plastic and aluminum, circulating in the market, not the landfill.
Investments in sustainability by the beverage sector is also an important part of their contributions to the circular economy. To that end, CBA members are working to design of products with their endof-life in mind. This increase in the recyclability of containers and packaging, significantly helps make recycling more streamlined for consumers and recyclers.
Engaging consumers in the recycling journey
Consumers are crucial to the success of recycling programs. After all, once a beverage is in a consumer’s hands, even the best program is moot without their participation. That’s why making recycling accessible, easy to understand and rewarding is one of the association's top priorities.
The CBA’s educational campaigns inform the public about the importance of recycling and how to do it correctly. Most recently, the association launched the “Made to be Remade” campaign to educate consumers about the importance of plastic, aluminum, and paper in the circular economy and inform decision-makers about the importance of harmonizing recycling systems across Canada.
Towards a National Recycling Framework Beverage container recovery rates across the country have steadily increased over time and currently
Fisheries and Oceans Canada is working to protect 30 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2030.
range from 65 per cent to 85 per cent. The supply chain has come a long way, but greater harmonization is required to secure Canada as a true leader in the circular economy.
Today, recycling is still a patchwork of varied regulatory landscapes across the country. A national framework would streamline recycling for consumers, create a more predictable and stable market for recycled materials, and ultimately close the loop between consumers, recyclers, and producers. The federal government can act as a catalyst, fostering communication and understanding, but success ultimately lies at the provincial level.
In Ontario, the province with the lowest beverage container recycling program, the CBA is working with supply chain stakeholders to develop a deposit-return system (DRS) for non-alcoholic beverage containers. A DRS is widely known to be the most effective way to motivate consumers to recycle their beverage containers and will be critical in meeting the province's 2030 recovery target.
This article
sponsored by the Canadian Beverage Association.
Veronica Stephenson
Krista Scaldwell, President, CBA
Loblaw and Club Coffee Lead the Way with Sustainable Coffee Packaging
Loblaw Companies Limited has brought innovative, sustainable packaging solutions to the coffee category thanks to collaborations with Club Coffee and top researchers.
Tania Amardeil
Canadians love their coffee,” says Solange Ackrill, Vice-President of Marketing, Commercialization, and ESG at Club Coffee (an ofi company). “It’s the number one most consumed beverage — more than tap water.” According to the Coffee Association of Canada, 71 per cent of Canadians drink coffee daily. Single-serve brewers are increasingly prevalent in Canadians’ homes, offering convenience, consistent quality, and less wasted coffee. According to NielsenIQ data, single serve pod and cup sales in Canada represent approximately 40 per cent of the market. However, they pose environmental concerns. “Millions of single-use plastic coffee cups are consumed daily, and at present, there’s limited to no infrastructure to recover these plastic cups in existing mechanical recycling systems,” says Dr. Calvin Lakhan, Director of York University’s Circular Innovation Hub.
Traditional roast and ground coffee packaging also had issues. Better options were needed.
Striking a balance
Traditional coffee packaging has presented environmental challenges. Packaging maintains coffee’s freshness and quality and has long relied on non-sustainable options like multilayer bags, plastic jars, composite cans, and plastic cups that lack proper end-of-life
solutions. Steel cans, though available, have a high carbon footprint from both a manufacturing and logistics perspective, plus volatile costs. The area was ripe for innovation.
“We wanted to strike the right balance between improved sustainability and maintaining the highest-possible quality,” says Vlad Rebellon, Senior Director of Sustainability and Strategic Initiatives at Loblaw brands. “And it was clear that we needed to look not only at more sustainable materials but at how those materials moved through the entire supply chain — no more shipping empty coffee cans, for example.”
Sustainable packaging innovation
Loblaw Companies and Club Coffee L.P., a Toronto-based coffee roaster and manufacturer, have a longstanding partnership . Loblaw’s sustainable packaging journey in coffee advanced in 2016 with the launch of BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute)-certified commercially compostable** President’s Choice® single-serve coffee pods.
In 2022, the partnership produced a new recyclable* paper-based packaging for roast and ground coffee.
“Through our partnership with Club Coffee, we redesigned all President’s Choice ground and whole bean coffee containers using AromaPak® with Boardio® technology, a paperboard container that’s certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as sourced
from responsibly managed forests,” says Heather Fadali, Vice-President of Product Management and Innovation, Loblaw Brands. President’s Choice was the first brand to bring this sustainable coffee packaging to market, with other brands following suit — creating a ripple effect of reduced carbon footprints and improved packaging recyclability nationwide.
Continued advances
“Through our research, we were able to identify and quantify the significant reduction in both carbon emissions and plastics attributable to the use of the commercially compostable coffee pods (PurPod100®), as well as Aromapak® with Boardio® packaging,” says Dr. Lakhan, who’s also a leading researcher on life cycle assessment modelling for both types of sustainable packaging.
Loblaw’s commitment to sustainability is evident in its continuous innovation to deliver high-quality coffee to Canadians in more eco-friendly packaging solutions. The major retailer’s initiatives have made significant strides in reducing plastic waste and carbon emissions, aligning with Loblaw’s broader efforts to combat climate change. With packaging standards inspired by global best practices, Loblaw is paving the way for a more sustainable future in the retail industry, one cup of coffee at a time.
Loblaw and Club Coffee’s collaboration has delivered sustainable, first-in-market packaging solutions with award-winning innovation and measurable impact for both pods and roast/ground coffee.
Single-Use Coffee Reimagined: PurPod100®
Biodegradable Products Institute-certified commercially compostable coffee pods launched in 2016
• A convenient, more sustainable solution to single-use plastic cups
• Innovatively made with upcycled coffee bean skins
Diverts nutrient-rich organic coffee
Sustainable Packaging for Roast and Ground Coffee: Recyclable AromaPak®/Boardio®
• First in Canada recyclable* paper-based coffee packaging launched in 2022
• Uses AromaPak® with Boardio® technology, responsibly sourced from well managed forests, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® Unique shipped flat paperboard to form and fill with coffee on the manufacturing line, replacing non-sustainable multi-layer foil and plastic coffee bags and rigid containers shipped empty
• Winner of numerous awards, including Best In Class Award at the 2022 Global Packaging Awards, for Packaging Innovation and Sustainable Design
• Reduces plastics (by 55%) vs multilayer coffee bags
• Has reduced carbon emissions by over 1,454 T/ C02E (the equivalent of 66,789 trees planted, 3,198 barrels of oil, and 316.12 cars removed from the road)
Solange Ackrill Vice-President of Marketing, Commercialization, and ESG, Club Coffee
Vlad Rebellon Senior Director of Sustainability and Strategic Initiatives, Loblaw Brands
Dr. Calvin Lakhan Director, Circular Innovation Hub, York University
Heather Fadali Vice-President, Product Management and Innovation, Loblaw Brands