Environmental committee aiming to phase out plastic

The environmental stewardship committee could aim to facilitate a plastic bag ban as early as one year from now, if it follows citizens’ advice.

Coordinator Janet Cooper held a meeting last Monday as a forum for public feedback regarding what method should be employed to reduce plastic bag use in Jasper. The 13 people who attended generally agreed that the best plan of action is to impose a mandatory charge for plastic bags in stores.

Stores should also be required to provide an alternative option, such as a reusable cloth bag, said Nicole Ward, former environmental stewardship coordinator.

Tourism and commerce general manager Helen Kelleher-Empey suggested that the chamber could make cloth bags bearing the Jasper logo available to businesses to sell to their customers. She said she would discuss the idea with the chamber and share the feedback at the next bag meeting.

Cooper said she held Monday’s meeting because of feedback she received. “Doing something about plastic bags has been identified by the public,” she said. “I’ve had residents coming forward and saying, ‘Why don’t you do something about this?’”

The three approaches Cooper presented were voluntary compliance through communication and encouragement, a standard bag fee, and an absolute bag ban. A by-law would be required to impose a fee or a ban.

“We all agree the over-abundance of plastic bags is an issue,” Cooper said, adding that in her research she found that bag fees were a very effective method. Though the charge may be as little as a few cents, she said people tend to be reluctant to pay for them but they would still have the freedom to choose.

Cooper pointed to other places in the world where plastic bag reduction measures are in place. In Ireland, Germany, Seattle and South Africa bag fees are mandatory. Vancouver, Toronto and Whistler are considering imposing fees, and home furnishing retailer IKEA sells plastic bags for five cents each. Bags are banned in Bangladesh, San Francisco and Leaf Rapids, Manitoba, to name a few.

Resident Monika Schaefer said a ban is the way to go. “Just think – here we are in a national park, let’s be proud, let’s be courageous,” she said.

Jasper Liquor Store owner Conni Bowen said a ban would be impractical. “When someone buys two bottles of vodka, are they supposed to just carry them?” she said. “If we imposed an outright ban I wouldn’t follow it.” Bowen said she preferred the idea of charging for plastic bags and selling reusable cloth ones.

Though plastic bags aren’t nearly the biggest problem when it comes to trash – they comprise less than one per cent of landfills – Cooper said they’re a symbol of a society in which people use things without thinking and then throw them away.

Some of the reasons plastic bags are detrimental to the environment are very few get recycled, they last forever in a landfill, they’re made from petroleum, and they can block sewers and drains.

The aim of the meeting was to gather people interested in reducing plastic bag use and share ideas, Cooper said, adding the next meeting would be scheduled in a few weeks to continue planning and discussion.