The town of Quispamsis is concerned about the Fundy Regional Service Commission’s decision to stop accepting plastic bags.
The service commission announced it would no longer accept plastic bags in recycling come March 1.
But deputy mayor Libby O’Hara says no alternative solutions have been proposed, and the town is frustrated.
Quispamsis council has asked for the commission to put the ban on hold for now.
O’Hara says March 1 is an “ambitious date” and wants more time for residents to get used to the change.
“I just thought that it was really important that we addressed this because the impact that this would have is pretty significant,” she said.
O’Hara says the decision means a big change for the whole region, from residents to retailers.
She says she doesn’t have a problem with the ban itself: reducing single-use plastic use has been a goal of the town’s climate change committee.
But O’Hara says there needs to be a better solution in place before March 1.
“Before we do that, let’s look at all (options) that might be available, and if there aren’t options available, what options can we create so that maybe there is an opportunity to use the plastic bags for something else,” she said.
O’Hara says without a different solution those bags will just end up in the landfill, replacing one problem with another.
“I’m hoping that out of this problem, we can create an opportunity for somebody to begin a business or somebody to have some incentives to say ‘okay, what can we do with this plastic?’ We can always make something out of almost anything,” she said.
Service Commission Won’t Budge
The commission says the Crane Mountain Landfill hasn’t had a market for recycling plastic bags for two years and the current stockpile has been building longer than that.
Brenda MacCallum, public relations and program development at the commission, says for the motion to change it would require new information.
“It was a decision that was made and unless there is new information coming forward, then I expect that we will continue as planned,” MacCallum said.
The stockpile of plastic bags at the landfill covers more than two years and MacCallum doesn’t see it going anywhere.
“That is why the commission made that motion,” MacCallum said.
“People who are very conscientious and recycling their bags will also understand we don’t have an end market for them then possibly start reconsidering the amount of plastic bags that they consume.”
MacCallum says plastic bags have always been “difficult” because it’s not a good material for recycling.
“We’ve found markets for them but, not very solid markets. We have to go back to the reduction first. Unfortunately for plastic bags, recycling is not the answer for us here in this region,” she said.
With files from Danielle McCreadie and Tamara Steele.
