Pandemic creates problems for Islanders looking to cut down on waste

About two years ago, Megan MacKenzie decided she was going to take steps to become more environmentally friendly, specifically to use less plastic.

She wanted to move to a zero-waste lifestyle. 

"I started doing those … simple substitutions that you can do … to eliminate a lot of those things in your life, things like switching to bar soap instead of body wash in a bottle," she said. 

"I really changed a lot of my shopping habits in regards to the food I purchased and where I purchased my food."

It's something she's kept up since, but the COVID-19 pandemic has created some challenges to that lifestyle. Some stores have stopped accepting reusable containers. 

"Your … inability to bring your own containers to stores, to go to the Bulk Barn and fill up your own containers, that's gotten a lot more challenging," she said. 

That change led to a bit of disappointment, said MacKenzie. But, for her, it's about eliminating as much waste as she can while understanding compromises are necessary right now.

"I'm still trying to do the best I can, but accepting the fact that we're going to have to make choices that involve plastic and things that we can't avoid," she said. 

"The key to that for me is not giving it all up just because I have to use a disposable [item]. I can still use lots of things in my life that aren't disposable." 

'Return to people bringing containers from home'

One of the stores unable to accept customer's reusable items is Monsieur Vrac, a new zero-waste store in Charlottetown.

The store that opened on Friday is focused on offering goods without packaging. But the company isn't able to accept any reusable containers or bags because of the pandemic.  

Customers can purchase jars on site and return them to the store. It's a rental program of sorts. 

"We have a dishwasher, a commercial dishwasher," said Israel Poulin, the store's owner. "We're going to sanitize that … so it's perfectly clean and then put it back for the customers to use again."

But some things had to change to keep up with pandemic demands. The store uses paper bags.

"You can compost them. So it's a good option … but obviously, hopefully when the pandemic is over, we'll be able to return to people bringing containers from home."

MacKenzie said she is also hopeful that people will accept those reusable items again once the pandemic ends.

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