The City of North Battleford is determining environmental concerns such as possibly banning single-use plastic bags at a future planning meeting. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Green ideas

City to discuss potential of banning single-use plastic bags

Mar 14, 2019 | 5:05 PM

North Battleford City Hall plans to sit down to discuss the long term potential of banning single-use plastic bags.

Coun. Kent Lindgren raised the issue at council’s last meeting.

“We have asked administration to bring it back to a future planning committee meeting,” he told battlefordsNOW. “It’s something I am proposing we look at. At this point, it has pretty far reaching impact into a lot of places in our community, a lot of businesses. I think it’s a conversation we need to start having.”

Lindgren recently saw a student project at the Discovery Co-op to raise awareness about the crisis of single-use plastic bags impacting the environment on a large scale. He would like to see the youth attend the city’s meeting and discuss their project as well.

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“Seeing other municipalities go in that direction and see that that’s feasible, I think can be helpful and useful for us to see a way forward for our community too,” Lindgren said of the ban.

Vancouver plans to ban plastic straws as well as foam containers used for takeout products this year, as well make efforts to reduce plastic bag use.

Last year Montreal banned single-use plastic shopping bags normally used in grocery stores. Customers instead could purchase a thicker-weight plastic bag or use a reusable bag to carry their purchases.

Mayor Ryan Bater said the city’s recycling firm Loraas previously said it is no longer accepting plastic bags for recycling. So the bags are filling up the landfill instead.

“A lot of municipalities have chosen to ban the bags. I think that is something for council to consider, but that will come at a future meeting,” Bater said.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW