Montreal plastic bag ban starts today
Posted September 26, 2022 10:23 am.
Last Updated September 27, 2022 8:20 am.
Montreal’s plastic bag ban came into effect Tuesday (Sept. 27) – and applies to the city’s 19 boroughs.
No more plastic bags at restaurants and retail stores, including for take-out and home delivery.
The city first adopted the measure in September 2021.
In a press release, Mayor Valérie Plante said, “we have a responsibility to make concrete and courageous decisions to address the climate crisis now.”
“The plastic bag ban is a testament to our administration’s firm commitment to accelerate Montreal’s ecological transition and provide environmental leadership, both locally and internationally.”
The city says only about 16 per cent of plastic bags make their way through the recycling process, leaving the rest to pollute the environment. They say it can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.
This is part of the Plante administration’s environmental platform, which has committed to becoming a zero-waste city by 2030.
Photo credit: City of Montreal
Come March 2023, eight sing-use plastic items will be prohibited in Montreal. They will officially end the sale and distribution of plastic trays (except for meat and fish products), single-use plastic plates, utensils, containers, lids, cups, stir sticks and straws.
