Nova Scotia to ban use of most plastic bags

Nova Scotia plans to join a number of other Canadian provinces in banning most single-use plastic bags at store checkouts.

The Liberal government introduced the bill to ban the bags today as the legislature session opened.

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After the bill passes, industry will have one year to prepare before the bags are prohibited.

Under the proposed law, retailers will still be allowed to use single-use plastic bags for live fish and bulk items.

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There will also be exemptions for food banks and charities. Gordon Wilson, the minister of the environment, says he’s introducing the bill in the hope of removing millions of bags from the waste stream each year.