These companies are the top 5 plastic polluters in Canada

Oct 10 2018, 9:01 pm

The largest plastic polluters in Canada have been named following a trash audit by Greenpeace Canada.

According to Greenpeace, volunteers logged hundreds of hours sifting, sorting, and counting plastic packaging collected from beaches and rivers in Canada and around the world. They released the results “to name and shame the companies that are trashing our waterways, oceans, green spaces and communities with their throwaway plastic.”

In Canada, their audit found five major polluters: Nestlé, Tim Hortons, PepsiCo., The Coca-Cola Company, and McDonald’s Corporation, who were the most frequent multinational brands collected in cleanups, in that order.

Globally, three of the same companies made the top five, with The Coca-Cola Company named as the top polluter, followed by PepsiCo., Nestlé, Danone, and Mondelez International.

Greenpeace says that the Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, and Nestlé (in this order) accounted for 64% of the branded plastic trash that was identified across North America.

Tim Hortons’ takeaway coffee cups were one of the main polluters in Canadian beaches and rivers.

The top five plastic polluters identified through five Canadian brand audit events are named through an aerial banner shot at Kitsilano Beach in Vancouver (Greenpeace Canada)

“Plastic lined coffee and other beverage cups were the third most common type of plastic item found, with Tim Hortons, McDonald’s and Starbucks being the main contributors,” said Greenpeace. “The second most frequently found item was plastic bottles, with Nestle, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. water and beverage brands contributing the most to these numbers.”

The Greenpeace Canada audits were done in partnership with Ecology Action Centre in Halifax; Surfrider Vancouver in Vancouver; Strawless Toronto, Don’t Mess with the Don, and Stop Plastics in Toronto; and Mission 10 Tonnes in Montreal. Surfrider Pacific Rim also conducted one in Tofino, BC. Across the five Canada locations, Greenpeace said it collected 2231 pieces of identifiable trash and over 700 pieces of branded but unidentifiable trash due to degradation.

See also
Daily Hive StaffDaily Hive Staff

+ News
ADVERTISEMENT