Plastic bag ban in RDNO?
Darren Handschuh - Jul 18, 2019 - Biz Releases

The Regional District of North Okanagan is on the verge of banning plastic bags.

The RDNO board gave second and third readings to a bylaw proposing to ban single-use plastic checkout bags at a meeting on Wednesday.

The bylaw will now be sent to the Ministry of Environment for its consideration.

A bylaw requires four readings to come into effect, and, if the MOE approves the bylaw, the board will then consider it for fourth reading/adoption.

The decision to consult the MOE came after the ruling by the B.C. Court of Appeal, which found a bylaw in Victoria that banned single-use checkout bags was not valid since the bylaw required provincial approval.

“We reviewed the court ruling and learned that there is a need to seek provincial approval in the process, so we are going to do just that,” RDNO board chairperson Kevin Acton said. “We have to send many of our bylaws to the inspector of municipalities, so it’s not unlike a regular practice of ours.

“In the meantime, we absolutely encourage people to bring their own reusable bags shopping with them voluntarily. While a bylaw may not be in effect, it’s a good idea to start building good habits.”

Since the bylaw is now dependent on the approval of the province, the originally proposed timeline of having the ban in effect by January 2020 may change.

The RDNO has also sent a letter to the MOE urging the province to enforce a uniform provincial ban on single-use plastics.


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