Weaning consumers from poor environmental choices

Janet Cooper is out to change Jasper’s bag habits.

“Plastic bags are one of the top priorities,” Cooper said as she prepared for environment week, which starts June 1 at the Activity Centre with a free community garage sale.

In submissions to the town’s environmental stewardship committee, “people have stated they wanted no more bags. We will put together a committee and hammer out a strategy on how we want to deal with it in Jasper.”

The Environmental Stewardship Committee is also exploring options for public transportation, possibly with a hybrid vehicle that will shuttle passengers around town and encourage people to leave their cars at home.

“There is grant money for a feasibility study,” Cooper said. “Public transportation is a very expensive option if people don’t use it enough.”

At least two Canadian communities have banned plastic bags outright in the last two years, but the environmental stewardship co-ordinator doesn’t think that’s an option for Jasper.

“A ban is not always the most effective,” Cooper said. 

Stores are switching to biodegradable bags, which consumers commonly use to line trash containers. When those are banned, “they’ve found that people buy their own non-biodegradable bags and use them as kitchen liners,” said Cooper.

“The most effective strategy is putting a fee on the bag, even a small one like 15 cents will discourage the public,” said Cooper, noting that “Ikea had an 80 per cent drop in plastic bag use after they added a five cent levy.”

“Add a fee, people will go out their way not to pay, but a few bio-degradable plastic bags around for garbage are good.”

Restrictions on the distribution of plastics bags have been implemented in parts of the United States, Australia, Taiwan, and several countries in Africa. China, which has been heavily criticized for its environmental practices, will ban retailers from handing out free plastic bags after June 1.

In Australia, Cooper said that merchants don’t provide bags for purchases of five items or less. 

Several Jasper merchants are selling re-useable bags which have become environmental and fashion statements for local consumers and souvenirs for tourists.

Craig Sollitt, of the Grocery People, which owns and operates food stores in Jasper, High Level and Fairview, said customers are slowly turning away from plastic bags since cheaper re-useable bags were introduced six months ago.

“We would love to phase out plastic bags, if there is a viable option,” Sollitt said, and added that the company is “testing biodegradable bags. But charging for plastic bags isn’t being considered.”

Sandra Coombe at Nutters bulk and natural foods, said that since Earth Day, the bulk and natural food store has sold or given away 100 bags made from recycled plastic bottles.

“Some people are buying them as souvenirs,” she said.

Connie Bowen at Jasper Liquor Store and Wine Cellar said the store’s six-compartment bottle bags are sold to visitors and given free to local customers when they make significant purchases.

“We can’t do away with plastic bags, but we try and encourage customers to use paper bags or re-useable bags,” she said.

Merchants in Canadian towns that first banned plastic bags, Leaf Rapids, Man., and Huntingdon, Que., say they don’t miss them a bit.

Huntingdon, about 70 kilometres from Montreal, banned plastic bags in 2007.

Alain Fournier, general manager of the town’s IGA grocery store, reported 82 per cent of his customers bring their own, reusable bags, while the other 18 per cent use paper.

“We’re getting there, slow but sure,” Fournier said. “At first, customers were not too happy with it. What we’re hearing more is that it’s convenient and they have fewer bags to carry.”

Leaf Rapids, in northern Manitoba, was the first municipality in Canada to ban plastic shopping bags. Mayor Ed Cherrier said most people in the community of 600 forget they ever had them.

“You don’t see them,” he said. “It’s cleaner. It’s a much better environment.”

Nova Scotia’s liquor stores have vowed to phase out plastic bags by this fall, and Quebec’s liquor stores announced plans to follow suit by the beginning of 2009.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has said his province should also seriously consider following the example set by Nova Scotia.