Air Canada sticks it to plastic

Air Canada says it plans to phase out single-use plastics on board its aircraft and in its workplaces, beginning with stir sticks.

The company announced Thursday that it will begin using wooden stir sticks on all flights, a move expected to eliminate 35 million stir sticks a year—enough to connect Vancouver and Halifax if laid out end-to-end. The new wooden stir sticks will be made from bamboo and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Air Canada has a stated objective to reduce waste sent to landfills from its offices, facilities and Maple Leaf Lounges by 20% (the weight equivalent of two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners) and to recycle 50% of approved items onboard its aircraft by 202.

The reduction of single-use plastic items is the latest of several environmental initiatives undertaken by Air Canada. When it introduced new employee uniforms in 2017, for example, old uniforms were donated to Brands for Canada, which removed all branding and offered them to people re-entering the workforce and without the means to afford new clothes. Uniforms were also shredded and stuffed into punching bags donated to community centres, converted into alternative items such as automotive stuffing, or incinerated to generate energy.

Tim’s doubles down on the Double Double

Tim Hortons is following up the recent launch of Double Double Timbits with a new product called the Double Double Coffee Bar. Launching this fall, the caffeinated bar is made from Tim Hortons beans. It will be about the size of a chocolate bar, boasting what Tim Hortons describes as a “smooth and silky texture.”

“Following the successful launch of our Double Double Timbit earlier this year, we wanted to create another edible treat that satisfies Canadians’ Timmies coffee cravings,” said Tim Hortons president Alex Macedo. “With Canadians increasingly finding themselves on-the-go, we developed this innovative treat so they can easily take their Double Double with them.”

Tims is also introducing a new instant coffee product in medium, decaf and light roast varieties in February, followed by ready-to-drink Double Double Iced Coffee and a relaunch of three Iced Capps flavours (original, vanilla and Mocha) in March.

Ticketmaster didn’t violate Competition Act: Competition Bureau

The Competition Bureau says that Ticketmaster did not violate the Competition Act after concluding its investigation into allegations that the ticket seller facilitated the “mass scalping” of tickets through its TradeDesk software.

The allegations about so-called “scalper bots”—software designed to purchase large blocks of tickets when they first become available—were reviewed under the Competition Act‘s deceptive marketing practices, restrictive trade practices and conspiracy provisions.

The Bureau said that investigators reviewed public allegations, complaints and evidence including videos and the company’s websites, as well as its behaviour, marketing practices and interactions with other companies.

However, the Competition Bureau announced that it plans to pursue ongoing litigation around the ticket seller, as well as Live Nation and other affiliated companies, that seeks to stop them from allegedly making “deceptive claims” to consumers when advertising ticket prices.

The Bureau says that its investigation found that advertised prices are deceptive because of additional fees added later in the purchase process. The hearings, which are open to the public, are scheduled to begin in the fall.

“The Competition Act is the best tool to crack down on false or misleading representations, including misleading ticket price advertising,” said Matthew Boswell, interim commissioner of Competition. “That’s why we sued Ticketmaster, and we remain committed to advancing our ongoing litigation.”