Huron Expositor, 2009-05-20, Page 3•1
News
The Huron Expositor • May 20, 2009 Poge 3
Charge for rdoeiy bags welcomed by most local shoppers
Toronto bylaw results in province -wide charge of five cents for plastic shopping bags
Susan Hundertmark
While some, shoppers have been
caught by surprise, most are very
accepting of the recent change at
Seaforth Foodland where five cents
is now being charged for plastic and
paper grocery bags.
Foodland owner Steve Delchiaro
says that while all grocery stores in
Ontario began charging customers
for grocery bags to encourage the
use of reusable bags a few weeks
ago, a lot of Seaforth customers have
,4k been making the move to reusable
bags themselves during the past six
months.
"People are using the (reusable)
bags religiously. They realize it's for
the environment," he says.
Loblaw's started charging for plas-
tic shopping bags on Earth Day,
April 22 and Sobeys, one of Food -
land's wholesalers, began, charging
on May 1. The industry was respond-
ing to a bylaw passed by the City of
Ibronto requiring that all retailers
charge at least five cents for every
plastic shopping bag used in the city.
by June, 2009.
Delchiaro says Seaforth Foodland
is now selling fewer bags than the
store used to hand out six months
ago.
d
t
"A few people got caught off guard
butarcift-, buying
bags," he says, adding that most are
now investing in the $1 reusable "en-
virobags" the store has been selling
for the past few years.
He says having promotions where
shoppers were given a free bag for
every $50 of groceries they bought
has helped to promote the reusable
bags.
"And, we guarantee those bags for
life. We'll replace them if they wear
out," he says.
Tracy Chisholm, director of com-
munications for Sobeys Ontario,
one of Seaforth Foodland's suppli-
ers, says that as an industry, grocery
stores have committed to reducing
the use of plastic bags by 50 per cent
by 2012.
She adds that while grocery stores
have been selling reusable bags for
some time, plastic bags usage was
only reduced by eight per cent in
2008.
"There's still a
lot of work to
be done, hence
the decision to
charge for the
plastic bags.
That way, we can
expedite getting
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to that target," she says.
Chichclm of;;;.:7`'.`.: that; while it's only
been a few weeks since grocery stores
starting charging for plastic bags,
she's hearing encouraging anecdotes
about the change.
"I think consumers were prepared.
They've talked a lot about it in the
media. So far, the preliminary re-
sults are .promising but I anticipate
it taking awhile," she says.
Marissa Scott, the Grade 8 student
at Seaforth Public School who asked
both Huron East
and Huron Coun-
ty councils to cre-
ate a municipal
bylaw banning
plastic shopping
bags within the
municipality
and the county,
says she's happy
to see grocery
stores charging
for plastic shop-
ping bags.
"1 think it' 9 a really big step, 1 was
really happy that it happened," she
says.
Scott adds that while she's glad
to see a Toronto bylaw enforcing a
charge of at least five cents for plas-
tic bags at stores within the munici-
pality, she's a little disappointed that
Huron East or Huron County didn't
act first on the issue.
"1 was hoping a smaller municipal-
ity could do it first," she says.
The H1N1 flu virus (human swine flu) is a
respiratory illness that causes symptoms
similar to those of the seasonal flu (fever
and cough, runny nose, sore throat, body
aches, fatigue and lack of appetite).
All strains of flu can be dangerous; however,
good infection prevention measures can
help protect you and others if this virus
begins to spread rapidly in Canada.
Wash your hands and
Cough and sneezen your sleeve,
not your hand.. ,iss4h4fitothT06.,
Keep common surfaces and items
clean and disinfected.
Stay home if you're sick, and'fall
your health care provider if your
symptoms get worse.
KNOWLEDGE IS •
YOUR BEST DEFENCE
•
1+1
•-•
For more information on flu prevention, visit
. www.fightflu.ca or call 1-80064544302
TTY 1-800-4654735
Public Health Agence de la sante
Agency of Canada publique du Canada
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The H1N1 flu virus (human swine flu) is a
respiratory illness that causes symptoms
similar to those of the seasonal flu (fever
and cough, runny nose, sore throat, body
aches, fatigue and lack of appetite).
All strains of flu can be dangerous; however,
good infection prevention measures can
help protect you and others if this virus
begins to spread rapidly in Canada.
Wash your hands and
Cough and sneezen your sleeve,
not your hand.. ,iss4h4fitothT06.,
Keep common surfaces and items
clean and disinfected.
Stay home if you're sick, and'fall
your health care provider if your
symptoms get worse.
KNOWLEDGE IS •
YOUR BEST DEFENCE
•
1+1
•-•
For more information on flu prevention, visit
. www.fightflu.ca or call 1-80064544302
TTY 1-800-4654735
Public Health Agence de la sante
Agency of Canada publique du Canada
4
Canadg
9 9 • • • • • • ff • • • • • • • • • • • • , I * • • • •
• • • o • • • ****** • • • , • • •
1 6. 4 3• • 4 • $ •• • 4 • .3 . •
t • •
1.4
4 , • , 6 * • t- • 44444444 ** • • • I • ••,10••4...41110;11.31,,••••••3...
. 4 33: . t; 4,4 , • a •
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