CoV Regulating Plastic Bag Use 1 REGULATING PLASTIC BAGS One City s Approach Victoria
CoV Regulating Plastic Bag Use 2 How We Started November 2015 Council directs staff to investigate & report on issues & considerations for a ban on single use plastic bags February 2016 Council passes a motion to introduce a ban on single-use plastic bags May 2016 Council directs staff to meet with key business & waste management stakeholders to explore ways to reduce single-use plastic bags in the city Staff undertakes research & analysis of industry practice & innovation March 2017 Council passes motions to support increased community engagement & dialogue on a program to regulate & reduce single-use plastic bags: Empower stakeholder groups & volunteers to engage the community on the detriments of plastic bag waste & the benefits of reusable bags Support civic engagement process with stakeholder workshops for businesses, industry, advocates & residents to share their perspectives on bag reduction rules Work with business stakeholders to promote voluntary reduced retail bag use Develop a design competition for a City of Victoria reusable retail bag, with a financial reward of $2,000, funded through the solid waste management budget.
CoV Regulating Plastic Bag Use 3 How We Finished May 2017 Phase I: Engagement Kick-off event with local stakeholders September October City staff hosts three separate meetings with industry representatives, advocacy groups, & local businesses. October 2017 Open House & Public Meeting Council approves motion to consider new single-use checkout bag bylaw. November/December 2017 Phase II: Engagement City invites review & comment from retail businesses, stakeholders & public on the draft bylaw Feedback collected for December 14, Council report December 14, 2017 Staff present feedback received recommended changes to the bylaw City Council passes first, second & third reading of the proposed Checkout Bag Regulation January 11, 2018 City Council adopts the Bag Reduction Bylaw
CoV Regulating Plastic Bag Use 4 Ongoing Measure and report on the performance of the bag regulation program after one year in effect, using waste audits and retailer bag sales data, and analyze and review the complete program with improvement recommendations. Include the development of a Single-Use Materials Management Plan in the ongoing development of the City s Sustainable Waste Management Strategy. Work with the Province, RecycleBC and other institutions to develop a performance specification for the preferred sustainable reusable bag to help business and industry choose amongst options, and influence bag design sustainability standards.
CoV Regulating Plastic Bag Use 5 Why in Victoria? Victoria residents use about 200 Bags each every year 17 million plastic bags from city residents, alone. Plastic bags contribute to greenhouse gases, air quality issues, natural resource depletion, chemical, waste & litter accumulation, & last for more than a human lifetime. Plastic bags are on the Top 10 list of garbage littering the world s beaches. Stopping waste before it enters our management systems helps City staff reduce operating costs & increase service levels to enhance the quality of life & experience for all Victoria residents & visitors. The city wants to reduce the volume of plastic bag waste entering our landfill, our waste collection systems, & littering our community. One part of our strategic plan & climate action program & targets.
CoV Regulating Plastic Bag Use 6 Regulatory Bylaw Summary Mandatory Bag Costs: Minimum checkout paper bag fee of 15 cents, increasing to 25 cents after July 1, 2019. Minimum reusable checkout bag fee of one dollar, increasing to two dollars after July 1, 2019. Bag Design Specification: Reusable bag performance specified to state designed and manufactured to be capable of at least 100 uses, until a more robust standard and industry test regime can be developed. Implementation Timeline: The bylaw will be implemented July 1, 2018. Active enforcement will commence after January 1, 2019. Enforcement Considerations (penalties and timelines): Introduce a minimum and maximum offence for an individual and corporation. Bag Exemptions: Exemptions for live fish, small paper bags and very large plastic bags. Use of Remaining Bag Stock: Allow for bags purchased prior to the first bylaw reading, to be used by retailers, but not permitted after January 1, 2019.
CoV Regulating Plastic Bag Use 7 Community Education Retailer and public awareness campaigns are central to the successful roll out of any bag bylaw regulation Approach: 1. Educate: Make it easy for retail businesses to understand the new Bylaw regulations and make the shift away from single-use check-out bags. 2. Normalize: Normalize the use of reusable shopping bags by residents and visitors to Victoria, 3. Promote: Stimulate a shift away from single-use materials, and help raise awareness that plastics are precious and not to be wasted on items that quickly become waste after only a single or few uses. Partner, Educate and Inform: Retailers: provide clear info, toolkit, and support. Residents: CBSM / work with community to support change. Visitors: partner and inform/educate. Strong communications and education about action reduces the need for enforcement.
CoV Regulating Plastic Bag Use 8 FAQs What types of businesses are covered by the new bylaw? All businesses operating within the City of Victoria. What types of checkout bags are permitted under the Bylaw? Businesses may provide a checkout bag if the customer is first asked whether they need a bag & the business provides a paper or reusable bag at a cost. Will businesses be able to provide customers with plastic checkout bags? No. Businesses are not allowed to sell or provide customers with a plastic bag or provide a single-use checkout bag free of charge. Can business use up their existing bag stock, even past the July 1, 2018 bylaw date? Yes. Businesses have until January 1, 2019 to use up all remaining bag stock, if purchased before December 14, 2017. When will the Bylaw take effect? July 1st, 2018. Will businesses be permitted to sell plastic bags sold in packages? Yes. The draft Bylaw does not restrict the sale of bags intended for use at the customer s home or business (garbage bin liners, sandwich bags, compost liners, etc.) Are there exceptions to this regulation that allow some single-use plastic bags to be permitted? Yes. The Bylaw includes a list of exceptions. Single-use plastic bags can be provided for: Loose bulk items (eg. fruits, vegetables, nuts, bulk confectionery, prepared foods, meat, fish, baked goods, frozen food wraps) Protection from direct contact with other items Prescription drugs received from a pharmacy Protecting newspapers or other printed material left at a customer's residence or place of business Protecting clothes after professional laundering or dry cleaning
CoV Regulating Plastic Bag Use 9 FAQs What are the minimum bag fees set by the bylaw? A fee no less than 15 cents per paper bag (rising to 25 cents after one year) & a minimum cost of $1 for reusable bags for the first year (rising to $2 after one year) How did the City determine the fees for bags? Fees were set to reflect the actual cost of producing a paper bag & reusable bag. Fees are a proven mechanism to promote sustainable business & consumer habits, while avoiding overuse of any bag type. How will the funds collected from the bag fees be used? The fee will be charged & collected by individual businesses Does the City mandate how the paper & reusable bag fees are used? Businesses allocate those monies as they see fit. The City would always promote that any additional revenues from this program be used to help improve sustainability programs, including packaging waste reduction initiatives. The City understands that these fees can help cover the costs associated with this new program. How will the bylaw be enforced? Education & awareness is the focus, & is always the first step before enforcement. If a fine is required, it would be issued to the business owner, wherever possible. What are the fines associated with this bylaw, & how will they be applied? An individual can be fined between $50 & $500, while a corporation can be fined between $100 & $10,000, consistent with other City bylaws. The City will always provide education, guidance, & warnings before any financial penalty. How will the City inform businesses & the community of the new regulation? What is being done to raise awareness about the new bylaw? The City is developing an awareness campaign for businesses, residents & tourists, & will work with local businesses to develop a Retailer Toolkit, with resources for communicating with employees &