Nova Scotia to ban use of most plastic bags

Under the proposed law, retailers will still be allowed to use single-use plastic bags for live fish and bulk items. (Pexels photo)

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia plans to join a number of other Canadian provinces in banning most single-use plastic bags at store checkouts.

The Liberal government introduced the bill to ban the bags today as the legislature session opened.

After the bill passes, industry will have one year to prepare before the bags are prohibited.

Under the proposed law, retailers will still be allowed to use single-use plastic bags for live fish and bulk items.

There will also be exemptions for food banks and charities.

Gordon Wilson, the minister of the environment, says he’s introducing the bill in the hope of removing millions of bags from the waste stream each year.

“It’s going to change the way Nova Scotians go to grocery stores,” he said after announcing the bill.

He also says the bill is a signal the province is willing to consider the banning of other plastic items, such as cutlery and straws. “This legislation is an important piece that will help us move forward,” the minister said.

There isn’t a requirement under the act to charge a fee for alternatives to plastic bags, leaving this choice to retailers.

Mark Butler, the director of the Ecology Action Centre, the province’s largest environmental group, welcomed the legislation — noting retailers and other provinces have already been moving in this direction.

“Atlantic Canadian provinces probably appreciate more the impacts of plastics, particularly in our oceans,” he said.

He noted that plastic bags are a relatively small proportion of the waste stream but they have a large impact on wildlife in the province.

The legislation, titled an Act to Reduce the Use of Plastic Bags and Other Single-use Products, seems designed to allow for bans of other plastics. “We look forward to the public and the government identifying other single-use items we don’t need to use,” Butler said.

In addition, Butler said provinces need to work with Ottawa in creating national rules around plastics to ensure standards are set — and that all plastics being created can also be recycled.

Jim Cormier, a spokesman for the Retail Council of Canada, said “overall, retailers are happy with this approach.” He said having a single system in each province is the best scenario for grocery chains and other retailers, rather than a patchwork of municipal rules.

While many Canadian municipalities have banned single-use plastic bags at grocery stores and other retail outlets, provincewide bans are more recent. Manitoba’s government has promised consultations on moving toward a ban of single-use plastic bags. A ban in Prince Edward Island went into effect in July, and Newfoundland and Labrador introduced legislation to ban the bags last April.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in June that the federal government was starting regulatory work to ban harmful single-use plastics. Some retailers have already promised to eliminate single-use bags.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2019.