Tim Hortons test removing china in some stores criticized

Environmentalists are criticizing Tim Hortons’ move away from china cups and plates in some Ontario cafes, saying the cost-cutting measure is bad for the Earth.

“It’s pretty outrageous that Tim Hortons is eliminating washable ceramic cups from some locations, particularly since many of its stores have been caught simply trashing paper cups despite telling customers that they were recycling them,” Adria Vasil, author of “Ecoholic,” tells Yahoo Canada News.

The Canadian coffee chain, acquired last year by 3G Capital Partners LP, is offering only disposable cups and dinnerware in some of its restaurants. Signs posted in test outlets thank customers for “joining our efforts to reduce water usage and improve our recycling program.”

“The coffee company is trying to put a green spin on things by telling consumers that they’re eliminating ceramic cups to save on water, but that’s mostly greenwash,” says Vasil of the claims by Tim Hortons, pointing to the cost-cutting reputation of the company’s new owners as the more likely explanation.

A Tim Hortons spokeswoman told the Globe and Mail that the pilot program is currently limited to a small number of mostly “non-traditional locations” where eating-in is less frequent. Director of public affairs Michelle Robichaud told Yahoo Canada News in an email on Monday there are less than a dozen locations involved in the pilot “and at no time was removing china from our standard restaurants contemplated.”

But the pilot program is still discouraging, considering problems with the company’s recycling program and lack of wider efforts towards waste reduction, says Conrad MacKerron, senior vice-president of As You Sow.

“It seems like they are headed in the wrong direction,” MacKerron says.

“It really should be grounded in some kind of science and disclosure and transparency,” he tells Yahoo Canada of Tim Hortons’ claims of water savings from the move.

As You Sow works with shareholders to promote sustainability measures and waste reduction by corporations. On the whole, the fast-food industry is not a leader in this area, he says, particularly when it comes to commitments to packaging recycling.

At the same time, other chains are trying to bridge the gap between fast food and casual restaurants by introducing measures like non-disposable tableware. A&W, for example, is introducing porcelain dishes into its restaurants and has served soft drinks and other beverages in glass mugs for years.

And though water savings are being given as a reason for the move, Tim Hortons has been criticized in the past for its recycling program. Each year 1.6 billion disposable coffee cups are thrown away in Canada, according to Simon Fraser University.