Whitehorse city councillor changes course on plastic bag ban

The Whitehorse city councillor who led a citywide movement to eliminate plastic shopping bags is now rooting for a bag fee over a ban.

For the past year, Coun. Jan Stick had been pushing for a complete ban on single-use plastic bags in the Yukon capital.

But after researching the issue with city officials, Stick said she now favours an environmental surcharge to be levied on each bag issued to shoppers.

"I've been swayed that looking at an environmental charge, per se, on bags might be a better way of going," Stick said Monday.

Stick added that a fee would still give consumers a choice, but at the same time encourage them to choose reusable shopping bags over the ubiquitous single-use bags.

She said she wants the surcharge to be applied across the Yukon, in the same way pop cans and juice containers already have environmental levies.

"I don't have any idea what the cost would be," she said.

"If you looked at Ireland, I think theirs was 12 cents. I've heard in some places … it's up to 20 cents a bag. That would make people think."

Stick's eco-charge is included in the city's proposed litter reduction strategy, which city officials presented to council Monday night.

"This three-pronged stategy can be expanded in the future to include other commonly littered items such as take-out food containers, coffee cups and the like," environmental co-ordinator Sabine Schweiger said at Monday's meeting.

Councillors are scheduled to vote on the strategy next week. But even if it passes, the plan would require endorsement from the territorial government.