Business

Where compost really goes, an eyebrow-raising meat study: CBC's Marketplace consumer cheat sheet

CBC's Marketplace rounds up the consumer and health news you need from the week.

Newsletter: Consumer and health news you need from the week

Toronto residents are encouraged to put plastic bags and diapers in their green bins, but those materials, which are separated, are sent to landfill and not composted. (Craig Chivers/CBC)

Miss something this week? Don't panic. CBC's Marketplace rounds up the consumer and health news you need.

Want this in your inbox? Get the Marketplace newsletter every Friday.

We still have to think before we eat red meat

A new study released this week suggests that it's probably not worth giving up your beloved burgers and steak to avoid small increased risks of cancer and heart disease. But some experts say it's not possible to apply one diet regimen to everyone, and that there's more research to be done. 

Three slabs of steaks
A new study is making people think twice about consuming red meat. (Erin Collins/CBC)

Marketplace exposes illegal recycling overseas

In our season premiere, we conducted an undercover investigation and revealed a Malaysian recycling factory is willing to buy dirty Canadian plastics — and it would break the country's strict importing laws to do it.

Marketplace host David Common rummages through a plastics landfill in Malaysia. Plastics from Canada were found in the giant piles. (Eric Szeto/CBC)

Where your compost really ends up

Have you ever wondered what goes on after you drop your food waste in the green bin? As this article explains, what happens next is not always easy, and sometimes involves a complicated, multi-step process.

Green bin with food scraps inside.
In theory, composting can create a circular economy of food: it is grown, it is eaten, the scraps are thrown out and turned into fertilizer sold to farmers, who grow more food. But most consumers are unaware of what the composting process actually involves. (Jacy Schindel/CBC)

What the fall of Forever 21 means for malls

There will be empty storefronts at malls across the country with the closure of all 44 of the Forever 21 chain's Canadian stores, but analysts say your favourite shopping mall will likely be A-OK.

Clothing retailer Forever 21 announced late last month that it plans to wind down its Canadian operations. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

What else is going on?

Health Canada investigating ads for natural health product targeting anxious teensVeeva Teen, a herbal supplement, may be marketing itself as a treatment for anxiety, counter to Health Canada guidelines.

UPS gets government OK to launch fleet of delivery drones. Drone deliveries to your doorstep might be one step closer to reality.

Vaping-related lung damage in 17 patients resembled chemical burns. After studying lung tissue from people who fell ill after vaping, U.S. researchers suggested that the presence of oil in the lungs of some may simply be a marker of vaping exposure and not the cause of vaping-related illnesses.

Big telecom companies win court battle in ongoing war with CRTC over wholesale internet ratesThe Federal Court of Appeal granted a temporary stay to a ruling that would have forced telecoms to rent their networks out for less.

The latest in recalls

This week: Busting a tech support scam with David Common

The tentacles of the tech support scam are far-reaching, slithering from fraudulent call centres in India to homes in Canada. In this week's episode, we're tracking those tentacles, travelling to the busy streets of India with hidden cameras.

Using pop-up warnings, search engine listings and lead lists, the scammers are becoming better at convincing potential victims their computers or smartphones have been compromised — and the only fix will cost hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars. Once they have you hooked, they control your device, possibly able to see financial, personal and medical records.

CBC Gem logo
(CBC)

Canadians who reported being victims lost a total of nearly $1 million last year. But law enforcement has largely been unable to locate and shut down the scam centres at their source.

That hasn't stopped our investigative team. We're on their trail and headed inside the office building in the middle of the night.

You can watch our latest episode on CBC Gem or YouTube​​​​​. And you can read more about the investigation here.

David Common