By ensuring that all checkout bags in Manitoba are biodegradable or made from recyclable material, we can reduce our reliance on oil and improve the environment: Gerrard

 Winnipeg – Manitoba’s Liberal MLAs, Jon Gerrard and Kevin Lamoureux, today presented Bill 206, The Waste Reduction and Prevention Amendment Act which would prevent non-biodegradable and non -recyclable checkout bags from being sold or supplied to retail customers in Manitoba.

 “Bill 206 will help reduce our reliance on petroleum products by making all retail plastic bags in our province biodegradable or recyclable.  With the British Petroleum disaster on the minds of millions of Canadians, this bill is very timely,” said Gerrard.

 Gerrard also suggested that by eliminating petroleum based plastic bags, Manitoba farmers and producers could benefit through the development of new industry to locally produce bio-degradable plant-based checkout bags.

 Countries and jurisdictions that have successfully implemented bans on petroleum bags include:

-          Coles Bay, Tasmania, Australia;

-          San Francisco, California, USA;

-          Fort McMurray, Alberta;

-          Leaf Rapids, Manitoba; and

-          The People’s Republic of China.

Facts about petroleum based plastic bags:

-          Plastic bags can take between 15 and 1000 years to breakdown in the environment.

-          The production of plastic bags requires vast amounts of oil.  Each ton of recycled plastic bags saves the equivalent of 11 barrels of oil. 

-          North Americans use 110 billion plastic bags per year.

-          Plastic bags are often mistaken for food by marine animals.  100,000 marine animals die each year from ingesting plastic bags.

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For more information, please contact:

Michelle Nyhof – Communications Officer for Manitoba Liberal Caucus at (204) 771-2513 or michelle.nyhof@leg.gov.mb.ca