No more plastic bags in Montreal

As of Tuesday, single-use plastic bags will have disappeared from the Montreal landscape.

Isabelle Ducas
The Press

At least that’s what the City of Montreal’s plastic shopping bag ban regulations provide, which come into force after being adopted in September 2021.

This regulation affects the 19 boroughs and will apply to retail businesses and restaurants, including those that offer take-out and home delivery.

Several businesses in the metropolis, in particular large food retailers, have already stopped offering plastic bags several months ago, even before the start of the ban, points out Stéphane Lacasse, vice-president of public affairs. of the Quebec Food Retailers Association (ADAQ).

“Our consumers have reached that point,” he points out. Many use reusable bags, and there is always the option of using paper bags if needed. As our customers are already used to it, we think it will be easy. »

Reusable bag

Merchants also make sure to have reusable bags in good quantity for customers who want to buy them, says Mr. Lacasse.

Packaging bags, used to transport foodstuffs (such as fruit and vegetables) to the checkout, are however still permitted.

The ADAQ had been consulted by the City of Montreal before the adoption of the by-law. Stéphane Lacasse hopes that, rather than imposing fines on offenders, municipal inspectors will be in “information” mode when the new rules come into force.

Businesses caught distributing plastic bags could be fined $200 to $1,000, and up to $2,000 for repeat offences.

When this measure was adopted, the administration of Mayor Valérie Plante pointed out that in addition to being a visual nuisance, lost plastic bags have significant impacts on terrestrial and marine ecosystems, since they can take up to 1000 years to decompose.

Better recycling

Plastic wrap also contaminates the quality of paper bales in sorting centers, it is argued. Their banishment will therefore have a significant impact in improving the quality of sorted paper and will thus allow better local recycling, while the metropolis is going through a crisis due to problems at its sorting centers.

“As Montreal prepares to host COP 15 on biodiversity, this gesture will also help to better protect our natural environments. The fight against climate change is everyone’s business and we hope that this strong gesture can equip other municipalities to follow suit,” said Valérie Plante in a press release.

“The majority of landfills will be full within ten years. Reduction at source is therefore one of the major keys to achieving our goal and we invite all merchants to follow suit and encourage their customers to shop with reusable bags, an economical and ecological practice,” added the manager. of the ecological transition and the environment within the executive committee, Marie-Andrée Mauger.

During the second phase of the regulation, which will apply from March 2023, it will be prohibited to distribute eight single-use plastic items in Montreal, compostable or not, in food stores and restaurants. This will include trays (except those for meat and fish), plates, containers and their lids, cups or glasses and their lids, stirrers, straws and utensils.