Kamloops Council hears presentation on eliminating single-use plastic bags

Mar 26, 2019 | 4:39 PM

KAMLOOPS — An advocate for the elimination of single-use plastics presented to Kamloops City Council Tuesday afternoon.

Michele Hadley is asking council to ban plastic bags by phasing them out with help from business owners. 

The plan is to eliminate plastic bags at point of sale and encourage consumers to buy re-usable bags at a low cost. 

“Certainly any solution to a global crisis starts at home in our own communities,” Hadley said, “and we want to follow what our neighbours are doing in the Okanagan and even in Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kelowna, and say, ‘Listen, let’s get on board while our neighbours are doing it and do it now as opposed to doing more studies on it.’”

Despite plastic reduction efforts in the community, Hadley says more plastics are ending up in landfills and the ban on single-use bags is one step to changing the behaviours of Kamloops residents. 

Council accepted the report and Councillor Dale Bass introduced a notice of motion to have administration draft a bylaw on the matter. 

Council will discuss the motion at next week’s meeting. 

“Well, I think if nothing else we’ve got the pot stirring. We’re talking about it,” Hadley said. “People are now very aware this is a global crisis and it’s a problem that can be managed very easily if everyone does their part. Retailers have to do their part, the consumer has to do their part, city council has to do their part.”