The Okotoks Western Wheel will deliver just newspapers next week, not plastic.
No longer will the Wheel come in a single-use plastic bag, but in a throwback to yesteryear, the newspaper will be wrapped with a good-old rubber band starting on March 18.
It’s not a nostalgia trip, it’s an effort for a greener future.
At present 86 per cent of plastic waste is going in to Canadian landfills — if they aren’t being blown off the back of a pick-up truck en route to the Foothills Landfill.
It turns out only nine per cent of plastic waste is recycled.
Better for the Wheel to do it now rather than later. Canada is planning a complete ban on some single-use plastics in 2021. Some businesses — like Okotoks Sobeys — as well as some municipalities have already started a ban on some plastics.
And with Okotoks being environmentally conscious, it likely isn’t too long before town council puts in a similar ban.
So better for the Wheel to be ahead of the natural curve.
It’s the only reasonable option. While some supposed environmental bags may decompose faster, they break down into tiny macroplastics that can harm marine life or can harm Mother Earth.
And of course, our trusty carriers will do their best to protect the newspaper from what Mother Nature can throw at us.
So enjoy your read with the knowledge there is less plastic in the world.
