Survey examining the use of plastic shopping bags - Montrealers Prefer Awareness Initiatives over a Ban

MONTREAL, May 31, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Tomorrow, the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) will submit to the City of Montréal a brief to be presented this week as part of the public consultation examining the impacts of possible ban on plastic shopping bags.

The brief is primarily based on a survey conducted by CROP on behalf of CPIA between May 8 and 13, 2015 that examines the way Montrealers use plastic shopping bags.

While the public consultation concerns "single-use plastic shopping bags", 87% of Montrealers surveyed say that they reuse their plastic bags, either as a lunch bag (32%), for household waste (78%), to pick up after their pet (15%) or for other needs (5%). In the event of a ban on plastic shopping bags, 51% of respondents would consider buying thicker plastic bags from the grocery store as an alternative.

Montrealers are six times more likely to recycle plastic bags (29%) as opposed to disposing of them directly in the garbage (5%).

Montrealers want to continue to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

When Quebec launched the "Voluntary Code of Best Practices for the Use of Shopping Bags" awareness campaign in 2008, the usage of plastic bags dropped by 52% in two years. The campaign met its objectives two times more quickly than originally anticipated.

Given this, it is not surprising that the majority of Montrealers prefer awareness initiatives to reduce the number of plastic bags (55%) over prohibiting their distribution (19%). Twenty-two percent (22%) of respondents prefer an additional fee for each plastic bag purchased.

What's more, 71% of Montrealers consider it either somewhat or very important to "continue to have the option to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic grocery bags instead of completely banning them." Only 26% consider this option to be of low or no importance.

Therefore, the CPIA primarily recommends the establishment of a partnership between the City of Montréal, RECYC-QUÉBEC, ÉcoEntreprise Québec, the plastic bag manufacturing industry, business owners and sorting and recycling centres to establish an ongoing long term program of shopping bags. The Association would be most grateful that the city of Montreal would enter into a new partnership modeled on CPIA's existing partnerships with the city. This approach has been successful for many years and the association expects an even greater and more positive outcome with this kind of collaboration. With this collective effort, we expect to promote the ongoing and successful program of recycling plastic bags and those composed either in whole or in part of recycled materials.

Most bags sold under the "reusable bag" label are neither manufactured nor recyclable in North America. Because they are likely to end up at a garbage dump, it is important to better understand their composition. To this end, the CPIA recommends the implementation of consistent manufacturing standards.

Several other recommendations include improving and modernizing our ability to recover and recycle plastic materials. The CPIA presentation before the Commission sur l'eau, l'environnement, le développement durable et les grands parcs is scheduled for June 4 at 1:00pm.

The CPIA's recommendations will be available tomorrow at www.plastics.ca.

SOURCE Association canadienne de l'industrie des plastiques (ACIP)

Source : Jean-Alexandre D'Etcheverry, Conseiller, National, 514.910.1328; Enterview : Pierre G. Dubois, Senior Consultant - sustainable development, Canadian plastic industry Association, 450.424.5152