Conversations on Bag Fees & Waste Reduction
I’ve heard various thoughts and opinions on the Single-use Item Reduction Bylaw - particularly around the bag fees for stores and fast food outlets. These conversations helped form some questions I had about the connection between bag fees and actually reducing waste.
While I campaigned on environmental stewardship, which included a focus on supporting the Waste Reduction Strategy, I also recognize that bringing community along during the process is crucial to sustainable change. With this in mind, I put forward a motion in 2023 to further discuss options and implications of NOT increasing paper and reusable shopping bag fees in 2024 as planned. As a result of my motion, a report came back to Utility Committee to consider strategy options, as well as the pros & cons of continuing with the planned bag free increase.
So what is some of the thinking behind the Single-Use Item Reduction Bylaw and the associated fees?
The bag fees encourage behavioural changes by giving people the ability to avoid a fee by opting for reusable bags or not taking a take-out bag, therefore participating in the reduction of single-use items.
The effectiveness of tactics (such as the Single-Use Item Reduction Bylaw) have measurables. Success will be measured by a 10% reduction in the single-use item waste stream by 2025 and a 20% reduction by 2027. This will be evaluated in 2025 through a waste utilization study.
The best likelihood of achieving the single-use item reduction targets is to ensure the rates/fees are high enough to avoid apathy and were decided based on evidence of success and rates in other jurisdictions.
Feedback from a survey with residents, validated that with the fee increase, more people are likely to bring their own bags or not get any bags.
Action at the individual level is one component of waste reduction as the City considers opportunities as they emerge to redesign products and systems to minimize waste.
When developing policies, the City applies a GBA+ lens, which mandates bylaws are created with diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in mind. An example of this is certain charitable organizations have an exemption when serving vulnerable populations.
Through this robust discussion and further information presented at committee, it was decided to proceed with the bylaw, including previously planned phased-in approach. This means that in July the minimum fee for paper bags increases from 15 cents to 25 cents, and reusable bags increase from $1 to $2.
Let’s continue to work together to reduce waste in Edmonton - by continuing to reduce, reuse, recycle.
