The District of Saanich is reminding residents to plan ahead as their ban on single-use plastic comes into effect on August 20th.
Businesses in Saanich will be prohibited from providing customers with plastic bags. Non-plastic bags such as paper bags or reusable bags can be sold on request and must be priced at $0.15 and $1.00 respectively.
The move brings Saanich in line with similar bylaws in Esquimalt and Victoria, which were either delayed or temporarily lifted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Reducing the negative impacts that discarded plastic bags have on the environment and our municipal facilities and services is a small but significant step toward becoming more sustainable as a district and community,” said Mayor Fred Haynes.
“I look forward to seeing the creative solutions our residents adopt that don’t require a single-use bag.”
The District of Saanich says statistically, each resident uses approximately 200 single-use plastic bags every year.
The bylaw is targeted at reducing litter and waste in the community and in landfills. More information on the bylaw is available online at saanich.ca/byobag.
