Photo by Whitehorse Star
PLASTIC BAGS EVERYWHERE – A raven sits amid numerous single-use plastic bags at the Whitehorse landfill in 2008. Inset Pauline Frost
YG seeks feedback on recycling fee for plastic bags
The territorial government wants to hear from Yukoners about how to apply a recycling surcharge on single-use shopping bags.
The territorial government wants to hear from Yukoners about how to apply a recycling surcharge on single-use shopping bags.
Aspects include the surcharge amount, type of bags, potential exemptions, timing and approach for implementation.
A recycling surcharge for single-use bags will help make recycling in Yukon more financially sustainable while encouraging the use of reusable bags, the government said Monday.
Feedback on a surcharge for single-use shopping bags can be submitted before April 26 at engageyukon.ca.
“Northern Canadians are among the highest waste producers per capita in the world,” said Environment Minister Pauline Frost.
“We can do better. Reducing waste keeps our environment clean and our communities healthy.
“Share your thoughts on a surcharge for single-use shopping bags and help keep plastic waste out of our environment and landfills.”
The government spends approximately $6 million every year to deal with waste, including $3 million on non-refundable items such as plastics.
Last fall, all members of the legislature agreed to work toward eliminating single-use plastics, including plastic bags.
“A surcharge on single-use shopping bags is a simple yet significant way we can reduce waste, improve our recycling system and make it more sustainable, said Community Services Minister John Streicker.
The government has committed, along with federal, provincial and other territorial governments to work toward significant reductions in waste disposal and zero plastic waste in Canada.
Previous engagement with Yukoners in 2014 and 2018 showed significant support for reducing single-use shopping bags to keep waste plastic out of the environment and landfills.
On Oct. 31, 2018, MLAs unanimously agreed to work toward eliminating the distribution of single-use plastic, including plastic bags, food and beverage containers, straws, utensils, lids and packaging.
Recent engagement by other local organizations like Zero Waste Yukon has shown this is an important topic for Yukoners who want to see action taken, the government said.
The local liquor store and a variety of private sector businesses no longer provide plastic bags to customers.
Several years ago, before becoming an NDP MLA, Jan Stick, then and now a city councillor, proposed a city-wide ban of the bags, but the initiative didn’t succeed.
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Comments (13)
Up 0 Down 0
Timesall on Mar 4, 2019 at 4:58 pm
Ever read about why plastic bags are more sanitary?
Or why meat is wrapped in plastic?
Or why vegetables are wrapped in plastic?
---- there are benefits to plastic bags. There are disadvantages. Now weigh the two!
Up 22 Down 0
North_of_60 on Feb 28, 2019 at 6:44 pm
The soft plastic Yukoners 'recycle' is shipped 2390 km to Burnaby where most of it is burned in Vancouver's Waste-to-Energy facility. Wouldn't it be more environmentally responsible to burn it in a similar facility here along with all our other combustible garbage?
Up 21 Down 1
1957 calling on Feb 28, 2019 at 2:54 pm
Paper bags work fine.
Up 27 Down 5
Al on Feb 27, 2019 at 10:20 pm
No on tax ! Is that all that bloody Liberals can think of ?
Up 18 Down 1
North_of_60 on Feb 27, 2019 at 8:04 pm
How do we know for sure that the plastic we give to Yukon recyclers doesn't end up littering the land or going into the ocean or rivers somewhere in Asia?
Up 24 Down 12
Joanne Johnson on Feb 27, 2019 at 12:11 pm
I think there should be an outright ban on single use bags. I shop at Riverside Grocery and they have pulled it off successfully. They will give people small cardboard boxes when they do not bring a bag, and that is a successful way to recycle to those boxes. All the stores in town get processed items in these boxes, so they must go somewhere. Putting a surcharge on single use bags? People will pay it.
Up 29 Down 0
Doubtful on Feb 27, 2019 at 11:36 am
I doubt this will make recycling more financially sustainable. A recent article on CBC revealed 90% of plastic in Canada ends up landfilled, incinerated or polluting the environment. Without proper sorting of recycling the plastic, cardboard and paper gets contaminated and a whole bale is tossed in the trash. Too much "wish cycling" where people think it is going to be recycled so they toss it in the blue bin. Trucking contaminated bales to get incinerated and landfilled elsewhere is not going to be sustainable in any way, shape or form. The industry took some hard hits with China's refusal to accept our garbage so we need to support local innovations to deal with these resources locally. Many people do not even realize where their recylicg is going, for instance glass is crushed and landfilled, not recycled. Glass can be made into an expanded aggregate used as drainage and insulation under a slab.... Plastic can be made into fuel, reducing fuel imports to the Yukon... Paper crate is a viable building material...
Up 25 Down 2
No name on Feb 27, 2019 at 8:52 am
The picture caption says "2008". Is that a typo? If it's not, a lot has changed since 2008 and a lot more people are using reusable bags than they did back then.
Plastic bags are handy for some things and I hope they don't go away forever. I use them multiple times until they are full of holes...then they go in the trash or to the recycling centre.
Up 32 Down 2
martin on Feb 27, 2019 at 8:43 am
If plastics bag are a problem, then ban them. That would force either paper bags, bring own bags or not buying at all. Simple. Enough of surcharges, taxes and empty words/catchphrases, and such. Why don't we start at YG creating tons of wasted paper in drafts, reports, and documents. "zero waste", right.
Up 19 Down 1
Bandit on Feb 27, 2019 at 8:17 am
It's a pretty simple solution. Keep supplying bags at the grocery store but make them the same as the "Glad Brand" ones I purchase every couple of months for my compostables that go in my Green bin. They could still be used the way most of us line our kitchen waste bins with the existing plastics but they would break down over time.
Up 22 Down 0
Always Questions on Feb 26, 2019 at 7:07 pm
Why is everything about money? Ban it! Charge for it! seems it's, either/or, these days.
Really aren't we talking mostly about grocery bags? if you don't bring your own, we already get charged for it. Sounds like private business is in transition already, and YLC so let's give them a little more time. Also, who gets the coinage? Wouldn't this add administration requirements to remit=more costs. This solution is dumb.
Stop making the things and people will figure it out pretty quickly!
I know, I know - corporate economy ... profit losses, job losses for manufacturers. Corporations that manufacture plastics are the ones that need to change or pay, not us.
Up 6 Down 18
Wilf Carter on Feb 26, 2019 at 4:10 pm
Ban plastic shopping bags or develop a recycled plastic lumber plant like I did many years ago.
Up 18 Down 6
Wilf Carter on Feb 26, 2019 at 4:09 pm
Come up with recycling not fees. This just another way for government to get money out of Yukoners.