Mayor Don Darling speaks to reporters after a meeting of common council. (Image: Danielle McCreadie)
The city of Saint John is supporting an upcoming plastic bag ban at the Fundy Regional Service Commission, despite concerns from outlying communities.
The commission will no longer be accepting plastic bags or plastic film in the recycling come March 1st.
Mayor Don Darling says it’s a step toward a more sustainable future and a plastic-free region.
“Right now, likely millions of bags are going out to the landfill and they’re going into the ground, and they’re not breaking down. So we’re not being great stewards of the environment,” he said.
Darling says there is more work to be done and would like to see the province play a larger role.
“We need to put more broad bylaws in place…but we shouldn’t be doing this in isolation. The province should be stepping up and saying this is how we’re going to deal with single-use plastics,” he said.
“The next step in the process is for us to review the Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe plan to see how that could be applied to the greater region of Saint John.”
Darling says he expects that review will get underway in the next few weeks.
He understands the ban will be a big change, but it’s one residents will have to start getting used to.
“We have to move on,” he said.
“I appreciate that it is a change. It’s even a change for me! I have about 30 of those reusable bags and every time I go to the grocery store, I forget them.”
He also admits the commission needs to do a better job at educating consumers on the change but hopes the message has gotten out by now.
“If these are just going to go into the landfill, the sooner we get can cut off the supply… the better,” he said.
