UPDATE November 15, 2017 — Miller launches petition inviting people to show support for his Reducing Waste One Pod at a Time Act
Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Norm Miller today launched a petition and invited people who support his Reducing Waste One Pod at a Time Act to sign the petition either on paper or online.
On November 1, 2017, Miller introduced Bill 173, the Reducing Waste One Pod at a Time Act, a Private Member’s Bill designed to keep plastic single-use coffee pods out of landfill by requiring all coffee pods sold in Ontario to be compostable.
“I have had great response to my Bill so I wanted to give people a way to express their support,” said Miller. “I will make sure to introduce any paper petitions I receive in the Legislature and talk about the online signatures when Bill 173 is debated on November 23.”
Currently 1.5 billion single-use coffee pods go into Canadian landfills each year. While recyclable options are available, recycling them requires taking the pod apart and cleaning it out, something many consumers who use coffee pods for the convenience, won’t bother to do.
“I believe compostable pods are the best solution to this issue,” said Miller. “If you agree, please sign my petition.”
To print the paper petition or sign the online petition, please visit normmillermpp.ca/petitions/coffee-pods/
Yesterday (November 1), Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Norm Miller introduced the Reducing Waste One Pod at a Time Act, a Private Member’s Bill designed to keep plastic single-use coffee pods out of landfill by requiring all coffee pods sold in Ontario to be compostable.
“I was introduced to the 100 per cent compostable pod by Doug Burns and Patricia Snell of Muskoka Roastery Coffee Co. in Huntsville,” said Miller in a release. “It was immediately evident that this was a better solution so I wanted to do something to keep the 1.5 billion coffee pods used in Ontario each year out of landfill.”
The compostable coffee pod used by Muskoka Roastery, the PurPod100, was created by Toronto’s Club Coffee in collaboration with the University of Guelph. It has been shown to decompose in as little as five weeks.
“We had been looking for a sustainable answer to the single-serve coffee pod waste problem and when we learned of a made-in-Ontario solution, we jumped on it,” said Burns, CEO of Muskoka Roastery. “We went to Norm for his help in promoting this world-class environmental technology and I want to thank him for championing this cause.”
Unlike recyclable pods, which require consumers to separate the plastic cup from the compostable coffee grounds, compostable pods can be composted whole. The Reducing Waste One Pod at a Time Act would eliminate the possibility of non-compostable pods contaminating municipal compost, noted Miller’s release.
If the bill passes, Ontario would be the first jurisdiction in North America to require coffee pods to be compostable, said Miller. The bill is scheduled to be debated on November 23.
Watch video of Miller’s news conference below.
Don’t miss out on Doppler! Sign up for our free newsletter here.
One year after the introduction of revolutionary 100% compostable single serve coffee pods, the Muskoka Roastery Coffee Company has encountered unexpected barriers to their adoption. According to the Muskoka Roastery, the big industry players who manufacture the 1.5 billion plastic pods that end up in Canadian landfills every year, and some large municipalities have misinformed the public to such an extent that progress has been blocked.
In an effort to break the deadlock and get Ontario on a path to sustainability, the Muskoka Roastery has decided to get the real facts in front of the public to allow them to make an informed decision. Those facts are that the pods are not only certified 100% compostable, they have been proven to work in real Ontario municipal composting facilities. The entire pod breaks down to organic matter in as little as 35 days, surpassing all municipal hurdles. With over 60 per cent of Canadian households having access to green bin programs, this technological breakthrough can divert almost 900 million plastic pods from our landfills, starting tomorrow.
“Any statements to the contrary are simply not truthful,” according to Doug Burns, the CEO of the Muskoka Roastery.
In the unlikely event that further support for an obvious path should be required, the Muskoka Roastery points out that the technology is 100 per cent Made in Canada. This world class technology, developed at the University of Guelph can solve a problem that exists far outside the borders of Canada, creating jobs for Canadians, starting tomorrow.
MPP Norm Miller has reviewed the facts in depth and has come to the conclusion that the solution is Bill 173, the Reducing Waste One Pod at a Time Act, which was introduced to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on November 1, 2017. The Bill is being debated on November 23, 2017 in the Legislature. MPP Miller’s bill addresses a concern that some municipal waste officials have expressed and that is the risk of households putting the existing plastic pods in their compost bins. Bill 173 seeks to direct manufacturers to convert to the proven compostable technology within four years.
“The time for lamenting and debating the single serve pod environmental issue is over; it is now time for action” says Doug Burns, the CEO of the Muskoka Roastery.
For those who would like to join the fight support this important initiative please go to http://www.normmillermpp.ca/petitions/coffee-pods/ and sign Norm Miller’s petition in support of Bill 173.
For more information contact:
Jordan McKenzie
[email protected]
(647) 231-7376
I applaud Mr. Miller and is continued efforts to care for the environment. Being a single cup brewer i will need to investigate my change over. However, I have to admit that I am more concerned by use of bottled water that continues to increase. The bottles seem to be recyclable, but how many are left on the curb, the beach or in the water. As a province we virtually give the water away to the likes of Nestle – and pay more than we do for fuel for our vehicles.
Good Things CAN happen when Political parties work together instead of just fighting for power.
Thanks Mr. Miller for picking up on this. !
Congrats to our own very generous Muskoka Roastery Coffee, for being first to use compostible pods,let’s make it province wide as Mr Miller is trying to do.
Good initiative and kudoes to Muskoka Roast for forward thinking
I too applaud Norm Miller on this great initiative.
These coffee pods were an absolute aberration for our environment …