Greenwash Watch: More Greenwashing from the LCBO

When we last posted about the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, a commenter asked "what? you buy your liquor from the government? Is this 1935?" But in fact every bottle of liquor and most wine in this very large province is sold by the government of Ontario, making it the single biggest purchaser in the entire world. Surprising also for a country with a free press, they produce a glossy magazine called "Food and Drink" and are reputed to strong-arm suppliers to advertise in it if they want good space on the shelves. They are using their buying power to promote tetrapaks (less space, easier shipping) and this month hit an egregious new low in greenwashing: an entire section of the magazine called "Envirotrends" with the usual suspects like tetrapaks, Wolf Blass in PET bottles, and a new low: Australian Billygoat Hill Shiraz in 250ml cans.

Where, this side of the 1980 Berlin wall, do you find the government controlling distribution, owning the press and practicing Newspeak that makes recyclable glass bad, small aluminum cans and non-recyclable tetrapaks good? ::Ontario, Canada.