Starting this week, BC shoppers will no longer be offered a plastic bag to put their items in.
It’s another step in BC’s Plastics Action Plan where single-use items will also no longer be offered.
According to the province, the changes will keep harmful waste out of landfills.
It is estimated more than 340,000 tonnes of plastic items and packaging were disposed of in British Columbia in 2019. This equates to more than 65 kilograms of plastic waste per person sent to the landfill in one year.
The following items have now been banned
* Plastic shopping bags
* Food-service ware* made of biodegradable plastic, polystyrene foam (i.e., Styrofoam), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) materials
* Film wrap made from biodegradable plastic or PVDC
* All oxo-degradable plastics
For limited use (i.e., not prepared food for takeout, delivery or immediate consumption):
* Food-service ware and film wrap made from compostable plastic.
*Food-service ware is bowls, boxes or cartons, cups, containers, plates, platters and trays.
In December, the province did away with plastic utensils, including spoons, forks, knifes, chopsticks, stir sticks and drink splash plugs as well as pre-packed bundled food-service accessories among other items.
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