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Public Input Sought on Single Use Shopping Bag Ban

Thursday, 7 January 2021 12:01

Banning single-use shopping bags will help reduce waste in Yukon and protect the environment. This public engagement will ensure the ban is introduced in a way that works for Yukoners, businesses and municipalities.

The Government of Yukon is looking for feedback on how to best implement a ban on single-use shopping bags, both plastic and paper.

Provide your input on details of the ban including timing for implementation, exemptions that should be allowed and any issues or barriers related to implementing the ban.

Banning single-use shopping bags will help reduce waste in Yukon and protect the environment. This public engagement will ensure the ban is introduced in a way that works for Yukoners, businesses and municipalities.

Share your thoughts about banning single-use shopping bags on EngageYukon.ca.  Feedback will be accepted until March 8, 2021.

Minister of Environment Pauline Frost said in a statement, A quick trip to any of Yukon’s waste facilities will show the blight of single-use shopping bags. This engagement is the next step in our commitment to ban single-use shopping bags. We have heard before that Yukoners support the ban, but it is important for us to know how we can best implement this change. We want to ensure a green future for all Yukoners where we reduce our waste and prevent plastics from overwhelming our landscape.

Single-use shopping bags include plastic and paper. There is a lot of focus on the impact of single-use plastics however, paper bags are also a concern because they are resource-intensive, and cause pollution and emissions when they are made and transported.

The ban does not proposed to cover:

prescription bags provided by pharmacists;

bags sold as products for waste such as bags for garbage, compost and animal waste;

bags sold as products for snacks, sandwiches or freezer-type bags; and

bags provided as primary packaging for food, produce, bakery items, meat, fast food, deli items, and hardware bulk items.

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