15 | durhamregion.com | This Week | Thursday, July 14, 2022 | SUMMER Hungryfor Summer produce is ripe for the picking at Farm Boy! Dig into crisp and juicy Canadian fruits and veggies harvested at their peak. Visit our produce department to taste the freshest flavours of the season. CANADIAN PRODUCE IS HERE! Join us for a complimentary lunch and private tour. It's a perfect time to make a fresh start. At Amica Whitby, you'll find the premium lifestyle you're looking for, the social connections you want and care personalized to your needs. Find out how Amica can help you make this a season of opportunities. 20 0 K E N N E T H HOBB S AV E A M IC A .C A / W H I T BY CALL KATARINA OR LYNN AT 905-665-6200 TODAY RESET. REFRESH.RECONNECT. The Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) on Tuesday, June 28, released an action strategy plan to reduce plastic waste. CGLR provides a binational, multi-sector forum for exchange and collaboration on the region's key risks and opportunities. "A Great Lakes Circular Economy Strategy and Action Plan for Plastics" focuses on forging a future without plastic packaging waste and pollution. It says the U.S. and Canada only recycle about 18 per cent of their plastic waste, adversely affecting almost 40 million Americans and Canadians. The outdated and inefficient resource recovery systems across the bi-national Great Lakes region add to the problem, resulting in more than 80 per cent of reusable plastic packaging materials ending up in landfills. This unrecycled waste is more than $2 billion worth of reusable plastics polluting the environment and the Great Lakes in the form of litter. Mark Fisher, president and CEO of the CGLR, says plastic used in the industries and homes should not become waste in the economy or litter the environment. "Through the Circular Great Lakes initiative, we are convening business, government, academic, and NGO leaders to drive and deliver the systems change needed to close the loop and accelerate the transition to a circular economy for plastics," Fisher said. CGLR'S initiative is convening companies, leading academics and non-profit organizations, and federal, state/provincial, and local government agencies to take on these challenges together. The five-year strategy and action initiative, which is in its initial phase, will be reviewed each year to achieve the goal. The bi-national Great Lakes region is working collaboratively to achieve a series of priority projects within three strategic pillars of action. The three key priorities as the initiative move from vision to action are: 1. Cleaning up and stopping plastic litter from entering the Great Lakes and the environment. 2. Accelerate development of plastic packaging recycling supply chains and markets, with a focus on flexible plastics. 3. Achieve a step change in plastics recycling quantity and quality through policy, consumer behaviour, and investments in infrastructure and advanced technologies. These pillars form the basis for several priority actions over the span of five years of the project. CGLR RELEASES GREAT LAKES PLASTIC PLAN OJASVINI PARASHAR oparashar@metroland.com NEWS Lake Ontario at Ajax. The Council of the Great Lakes Region on June 28 released an action plan to reduce plastic waste in the Great Lakes. Metroland file photo