Loblaws, a popular Canadian grocery chain, has stepped back a bit from its environmentalist move to charge five cents for each plastic bag in Canada’s Atlantic provinces. They say that it has to do with “hard economic times” hitting in the East. It may have more to do with the competition; Sobeys is Loblaws main competitor in Atlantic Canada and they do not charge for bags.

The repeal of the charge does not sit well with environmentalists or the other Canadian customers of Loblaws, who think that if the chain is repealing the charge in Atlantic Canada that they should do so in the rest of the Canadian provinces. Some areas, such as Toronto, have laws in place that mandate that bags must carry a minimum charge. These regulatory measures would appear to be the only concrete way to keep such measures in place in light of a competitive economy.

Mark Butler of the Ecology Action Centre states in this piece on CBC:
“I really hope that the large retailers — Sobeys and Loblaws — would get together and come up with a common policy so they’re not competing with each other and they’re all charging five cents a bag”.

Plastic bags are never free. If you live in Atlantic Canada, call or write your MP to ask them to put legislation in place to charge for plastic bags just like the legislation in Toronto.

Tags: plastic bag waste, plastic bags atlantic canada, plastic bags loblaws, plastic bags maritimes

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