District of Squamish will introduce a fee scale on the checkout plastic bags at local stores as a way reduce use of all types of single-use bags.
The bylaw, however, hasn’t been approved by the council. It is expected to be approved at a regular council meeting later in the year.
“Research suggests that taking the simple steps of asking customers if they need a bag and introducing even a nominal a fee can reduce single-use checkout bag use by up to 40 per cent,” the district said.
Bringing your own bag is free, but you will have to pay a cess if you get one at a local store. You can buy a bag and the prices will be dependent on the relative environmental impacts of the option you choose. The cess will be:
10 cents per Plastic Bag (increasing to 25 cents three months after adoption)
30 cents per Paper Bag (increasing to 75 cents three months after adoption)
$1.10 per Reusable Bag (increasing to $2.75 three months after adoption)
The district isn’t banning the bags because banning them outright could have an unintended consequence of shifting the problem. An outright ban can lead to increased consumption of other types of bags – such as paper and polypropylene bags – which actually have higher greenhouse gas emissions than plastic.
“This does not change the fact that our end goal is to eliminate the use of any and all single use bags,” says District of Squamish Mayor Karen Elliott. “We don’t want this to become a conversation that pits the virtues of plastic bags versus paper bags; it’s about changing our habits to reject single-use options in favour of something that is durable and reusable.”
District said that influencing the upcoming bylaw is a recent court ruling involving the City of Victoria that will not allow municipalities in B.C. to ban single use plastics without the permission of the Province. That effectively limits the municipality’s ability to ban single use plastics until the Province agrees.
The court ruling however has prompted the provincial government to ask for feedback on options for reducing overall plastic waste and packaging. The survey is open until September 30 and citizens are encouraged to provide their feedback: https://cleanbc.gov.bc.ca/plastics/
The District, along with 20 municipalities, has crafted a letter to provide feedback to the Plastics Action Plan, presented to British Columbians earlier this summer by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
The goal of the letter is to harmonize local government feedback to speak with a stronger voice.
“Plastic pollution on the whole results in massive environmental degradation worldwide, and we are encouraged to see the Province take action on setting reduction strategies for B.C.,” says Elliott. “The District will be watching closely and actively engaging in the conversation as the plan unfolds to understand our role in supporting it locally.”
The District will also develop educational materials and tools for business owners and residents to accompany the new Single Use Items Reduction bylaw to support those on the front line with information, tools and materials to convey new bylaw requirements to customers.
Dave Colwell says
RAISE THE FEE TO MAKE IT EXPENSIVE!
BRING YOUR OWN BAG
Jean says
I am not looking forward to the mess caring the gar-bitch from my Kitchen by hand to the curb for pick up ,then dropping half on the way, will however be greatly appreciated by the wild life… it is not the bag that is at issue it is the requirement to create bags that bio degrade and add to the fertilization of waist…Makes no sense to many and I think it is an other momentary grab… and very inconvenient.