More than a decade after they first appeared in the roof of a London building, some roof tiles that look like they’ve been sitting on the floor for years are now being reclaimed.
The plymouth tiles are a form of flooring, used in some homes to add support to the exterior wall.
They’re made from a material called laminate.
And unlike flooring which is made from wood, laminate is made of polymers, meaning it can be made to stretch and flex.
The process is so simple that some people have dubbed it the “plastic renaissance.”
But as with most innovations, there’s a catch.
Plastics are toxic and, when exposed to sunlight, can cause cancer.
The British Columbia government is considering banning them entirely, but they’re still being made.
So what’s next?
The answer, so far, is that they’re being recycled.
And it’s not a very happy one.
A new report commissioned by the Ontario government found that just 8% of the plastic that’s being made in Canada is being recycled, which is far less than the rest of the world, according to the Globe and Mail.
And there’s been no action to address the toxic chemicals in the materials.
“They’re in the process of being turned into plastic, which they’re not going to turn back into,” said Kevin Kelly, president of the Canadian Plastics and Rubber Association.
“The way they’re produced and processed is not an environmentally friendly way to manufacture plastics.”
Kelly said the government’s new report, published this week, highlights the “worrisome” situation facing Canada’s roofing industry.
“It’s a matter of the industry’s survival, not just the survival of the company that makes the product,” Kelly said.
“We’re in an industry that is not producing the products we need to make sure that people can have a safe roofing product.”
But, he said, the plastics industry is in a “state of emergency” and is in the midst of a massive campaign to raise awareness about the potential dangers of plastic.
The campaign, called Plastic Zero, aims to raise $30 million to help manufacturers and retailers make products that are less harmful to the environment.
Kelly said while there’s no specific limit to how many plastic products a company can produce, he believes that a ban on the production of floor or wall panels would have a dramatic impact on the industry.
That’s why he believes it’s important for Canadians to be informed about the risks posed by plastic materials, and to demand the government act on the matter.
“I don’t know if it’s going to happen.
I don’t even know what the timeline is,” he said.”
But we need a response.
We need the government to take a strong stand.”
Kelly, who founded the Canadian Paints Association in 2009, said he’s concerned that the government will be slow to act because the industry is so dependent on the government.
“We have to be really, really careful because there’s only so much government money to go around,” he added.
Kelly is also concerned that a lack of awareness about plastics in the homes of many Canadians will mean more plastics are made in the future.
“This is going to be a huge issue for the future of the roofing business, not only in Canada but globally,” he noted.
Kelly also pointed out that the federal government has invested $8 billion in building materials since 2006.
But the number of new building materials made in Ontario and British Columbia has not risen significantly in the last five years, making it even harder for businesses to keep up with demand.
“In Canada, they’re doing a great job, but I’m sure they’re just doing it because there are so many new roofing materials coming on the market,” Kelly told the Globe.
