TIMMINS -- The conversation around phasing out single-use plastics is continuing in northeastern Ontario.
In Timmins, some businesses in the city are working ahead to make the transition smoother once the municipal government develops and implements policy.
At the McIntyre Coffee Shop, the effort is on to go 100 per cent green, and the first step involved using compostable cutlery and containers, even spaghetti noodle stir sticks.
The co-owner says the shop's shocking waste usage prompted the move.
"It's really something when you see what you were going through and you see what you're contributing. So we wanted to really cut that down and, like I said, do our part to make sure that the earth stays beautiful and green," said Krista Green, McIntyre Coffee Shop Co-Owner.
At Radical Gardens, Owner Brianna Humphrey claims she's gone the furthest so far to be as eco-friendly as possible. She calls it moral responsibility.
"If you're moving, you know 200 menu items a day and that equates to 200 Styrofoam containers leaving your building, then you're adding to the problem," she expressed.
Both business owners agree that finding eco-friendly options can be difficult and costly and that distributors are struggling to keep up.
"We find that, for food service, it's a lot easier to source out the fibre containers that decompose or the decomposable cutlery or the plant-based straws that we've been using since the day we opened in 2015. What we're really finding is that it's really hard to replace the single-use plastics used for catering," explained Humphrey.
Other businesses say they're planning out their transition from single-use plastics, and the city's been making small internal steps towards that goal as well.
Officials at the city say it's still in early discussion and may take several months to draft policy as it continues consultations with other local businesses.
