Each resident of Saanich (official pop: 114,145) uses about 200 single-use plastic bags per year, according to a new report carrying details about SaanichB次元官网网址檚 proposed bylaw to ban such bags.
Victoria is so far the only community in the region that bans them and Saanich has followed the process. Monday, council plans to review and potentially give first and second reading to the required bylaw to ban the bags.
SaanichB次元官网网址檚 ban would come into effect by the end of 2019 with businesses receiving a grace period until June 2020 to hand out remaining bags. Businesses in Saanich hand out single-use plastic bags worth $22.8 million each year, according to an estimate in the report by Brent Reems, director of building, bylaw, licensing and legal services.
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Removing this volume of bags would save municipal resources, Reems said.
B次元官网网址淲hile it is difficult to estimate the impact of removing plastic bags from the waste stream as they are most often mixed with other garbage and remain undetected, any reduction in waste materials assists with reduced garbage volume and pickup frequency,B次元官网网址� he said.
Banning single-use plastic bags would also B次元官网网址渞educe the risk of fouling up municipal parks and property and underground storm water and sewer systemsB次元官网网址� likely to be impacted by intense rainfall thanks to the regionB次元官网网址檚 changing climate, said Reems.
While environmentalists have long lobbied for the proposed ban, citing the harmful effects of plastic bags on human and non-human life, ReemsB次元官网网址� report strikes a distinct economic note in stressing the expected financial benefits of the ban.
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While some businesses have already taken steps to ban single-use bags, they continue to B次元官网网址渃reate avoidable waste and its associated costs,B次元官网网址� said Reems. The proposed ban would lower those costs, he said.
But the proposed ban could also require additional public resources in terms on enforcement, he warned. Saanich currently lacks the resource to enforce the proposed ban, without harming existing enforcement priorities, he said.
The basic fine for various violations of the proposed bylaw is $75 if paid within 30 days, $100 after that.
The bylaw prohibits businesses from selling or supplying customers with single-use plastic bags; prohibits businesses from supplying customers with reusable or paper bags free of charge (unless already used), and requires businesses to charge a minimum of 15 cents for a paper bag and $1 for a reusable bag, going up to 25 cents and $2 following a year-long transition period.
It also contains various exceptions for specific types of goods, such as fruit, vegetables and meat among others.
Coun. Susan . While these efforts gained steam through the fall of 2017, council voted in February 2018 to hold off with further action until after the Victoria bylaw had passed legal muster.
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