Single-use plastic bags look to be on course to no longer be permitted in the city just over one year from now at the latest, the question is how soon the rest of the province and perhaps country will be along for the ride.
After much discussion, Brandon City Council voted by a 9-1 margin on Monday to take steps to disallow the use of single-use plastic bags in the city on January 1, 2021 should the Province have not taken action prior to that date to outlaw them Manitoba-wide.
The newly re-elected provincial government had identified the issue in September as part of a 100-day action plan to begin its second term. On the plan it’s said that intentions would begin with a private sector consultation. Currently in the province, Thompson, The Pas, Snow Lake and Leaf Rapids have such a ban in place municipally.
The city and province are actually the second and third levels of government with single-use plastics in their crosshairs with the federal government having announced in June plans for a ban as soon as 2021.
Grocer Sobeys had announced earlier this year intent to replace plastic grocery bags with paper bags in its stores nationally beginning this coming January. In addition to two local Sobeys locations, Brandon's Corral Centre Safeway would also see the change.
The matter was initially brought to council via a report that recommended re-visiting the topic in the spring. Council via an approved amended motion agreed that should a ban not be imminent from the Province by the end of April, the city would then begin the process of preparing its own bylaw that would institute its own ban effective January 1, 2021.
The attention to the topic from all angles is likely welcome news to many in a city that saw an online petition in support of a ban receive over 1100 signatures earlier this year. An ensuing eBrandon discussion thread also saw much feedback on the topic.
Council’s discussion and vote on the topic can be seen in full in the video below: