With the introduction of the City of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 plastic bag ban which came into effect July 1, the organization that spearheaded the ban is encouraging West Shore municipalities to do the same.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not hoping, IB次元官网网址檓 confident they will,B次元官网网址� said Gillian Montgomery, manager of the Surfrider FoundationB次元官网网址檚 Vancouver Island chapter.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l obviously be supportive in helping the municipalities with education and outreach and the tools that they would need if they felt so inclined to contact us B次元官网网址� I donB次元官网网址檛 think anyone can deny this at this point that itB次元官网网址檚 a problem and we need to all come together and come up with a solution.B次元官网网址�
RELATED: City of Colwood considers plastic bag ban
Thus far, Colwood is the only municipality in the western communities to move forward with a similar ban. In November the City directed staff to adapt a bylaw put forward by the Capital Regional District to ban the sale and distribution of single-use plastic bags.
The issue will likely be revisted by council in August or September.
In View Royal, council agreed in principal to the idea sometime ago, but for now will take a wait-and-see approach.
B次元官网网址淲e were just going to see how it works in Victoria, how it goes and learn any lessons from that and then look at it again down the road,B次元官网网址� said Mayor David Screech, adding retailers would need to be consulted as well. B次元官网网址淒efinitely philosophically we agreed that in the long run we should be moving away from single-use bags.B次元官网网址�
RELATED: Customers encouraged to wean themselves off plastic bags by Jan. 1
The districts of Highlands and Metchosin are not looking at a plastic bag ban as there is only one retail store in Metchosin and none in the Highlands.
However, not everyone is on board. Langford Mayor Stew Young said there hasnB次元官网网址檛 been a push from his residents for a ban. He noted many people reuse plastic bags to hold garbage and implementing a ban would force them to purchase more bags.
Young also noted there could potentially be health concerns associated with using reusable bags. He referenced a study released last year by professors at the University of Pennsylvania and George Mason University that found San FranciscoB次元官网网址檚 ban on plastic bags resulted in an increase in E. coli infections three months after the ban went into effect in 2007.
B次元官网网址淭he plastic bag ban, IB次元官网网址檇 just be cautious on that. IB次元官网网址檓 sure that because of the emotional movement of it and seeing all the plastic in the ocean that eventually this happen, but we need to monitor the safety aspect of it,B次元官网网址� Young said.
RELATED:
The City of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 plastic bag ban came into effect on Canada Day, but allows city merchants a grace period to hand out any remaining stock until Jan. 1, 2019. After that time, no plastic bags will be provided to customers outside of specialty categories listed in the bylaw. Any stores that hand out plastic bags could be handed out a fine between $50 and $10,000.
Instead, customers will be able to buy paper bags for 15 cents or a reusable bag for $1. Those prices will increase on July 1, 2019.
The ban hasnB次元官网网址檛 been without controversy. Earlier this year, the Canadian Plastic Bag Association challenged the ban, claiming it would B次元官网网址渟ignificantly impactB次元官网网址� its members who manufacture and supply bags for the Victoria market. In June, the B.C. Supreme Court ruled in favour of the City of Victoria and dismissed the legal challenge.
B次元官网网址淧lastics break up, they donB次元官网网址檛 break down, so they break up into smaller and smaller pieces and theyB次元官网网址檙e becoming too difficult for us to pick up,B次元官网网址� said Montgomery, noting over the years sheB次元官网网址檚 seen an increase in the amount of plastic washing up on local beaches.
B次元官网网址淥nce theyB次元官网网址檙e getting that small, theyB次元官网网址檙e getting into the food chain through mussels and oysters B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 not just the plastic bags, thatB次元官网网址檚 just one aspect of it.B次元官网网址�
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