Plastic bag ban now in effect for Jasper town site
Anna McMillan | CBC News | Posted: July 1, 2019 2:00 PM | Last Updated: July 1, 2019
No penalties yet for businesses that don't abide by ban
Businesses in the town of Jasper are officially phasing out single-use plastic bags.
The town approved a bylaw banning plastic checkout bags in June, which went into effect Monday.
Waste reduction is a priority for town council, said Mayor Richard Ireland.
"It will have a direct impact on shoppers in town who are users of the broader park," he said, noting many of those shoppers are tourists.
"Hopefully they will understand why we've taken this action, and they might take those notions back to their home communities and start implementing them there. So we are very hopeful that there will be a broader influence far beyond our local boundary."
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The ban applies to the town site only.
It will be on a voluntary basis to start, Ireland said, as some stores will need to use up their current stock of plastic bags before transitioning to paper or reusable bags. Shops can charge a fee for those bags, according to the bylaw.
And while the ban is technically in effect, there won't be any penalties for those who don't follow it — yet.
We don't want to overburden our local businesses. - Richard Ireland, Mayor of Jasper
Ireland said local business owners have enough to deal with this summer, as tourist traffic has declined due to the closure of Jasper's largest campground, Whistlers Campground, for renovations.
"Having to deal with that impact on their business, we thought, might be enough for this immediate summer," Ireland said. "We will allow a softer transition into enforcement of the plastic checkout bag prohibition. So we don't want to overburden our local businesses."
Council has yet to set a date for when bylaw enforcement will begin.
Ireland said additional single-use plastics, like straws and takeout containers, could be added to the bylaw in the future.
He noted banning other items could dovetail with the federal government's plan to ban some single-use plastics if the Liberals are re-elected this fall.
Businesses and individuals can find alternatives
Some business owners were opposed to the ban, Ireland said, but others had already stopped using plastic checkout bags.
Everest Outdoor Stores in Jasper hasn't used plastic bags for about six years. Instead, they offer customers recycled paper bags.
Jericca Cozy works at Everest, and said some customers still ask for plastic bags, often to store wet items or garbage.
She said most of the plastic bags used in Jasper come from convenience and grocery stores.
"We get a lot of tourists coming through and a lot of groceries being bought, so I think that's our biggest problem," she said.
Ireland said the municipality wants to encourage individuals to do their part as well.
"Once it becomes part of somebody's lifestyle, we won't have to worry nearly as much about legislation."