Aiming for Zero Waste in the Garbage Bag Industry

This text is taken and rewritten from the original article by LE JOURNAL MÉTRO

Gould Industries, a manufacturer of waste management and recycling products based in Anjou, has equipped itself with a new production line capable of processing an additional 1,800 tons of recycled materials per year. This increase brings the company's total annual recycled and repurposed material to nearly 13,000 tons.

"We are currently at 90% recycled materials, sourced both from industries and consumers," says CEO Frederico Panetta. "Many companies here generate waste, which we reclaim and convert into reusable bags. We also produce food packaging and bottles that are entirely reusable."

Founded in 1954, Gould Industries aims to bridge industry and ecology through its sustainable initiatives.

"We have a young and dynamic team. The company’s mandate for the past five years has been to be as green as possible."

Despite Gould Industries' efforts to transition toward zero waste, Panetta acknowledges that the plastic industry remains a contentious issue. "I know this can be controversial, but if we all work together, we can make the plastics industry beneficial for everyone."

A Divisive Industry

In its 2022 report on residual waste management, the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE)recommends prioritizing waste reduction at the source before resorting to recycling, which should be considered a last resort before landfill disposal. The report aligns with Canada’s Zero Plastic Waste policy, which aims to ban six single-use plastic items by 2030.

However, the policy has faced criticism from the Montreal Economic Institute (IEDM). In a May 12 publication, the organization argued that the measure "will ban products that are already recyclable after use, such as plastic shopping bags," and that it "risks having negative repercussions on the Canadian economy."

For Sarah King, an environmentalist with Greenpeace’s Oceans and Plastics Campaign, reducing plastic consumption at the source should always be the priority over recycling. "Plastic recycling will never truly be circular or waste-free," she explains. "While the plastic recycling industry is designed to minimize landfill and incineration waste, the reality is that much of Canada’s diverted plastic still ends up as waste and pollution."