The City of Prince Albert is reminding residents to bring their own reusable bags when going grocery shopping.
A bylaw banning plastic checkout bags is set to be implemented on Oct. 12.
“I’m glad to be back on track with this ban,” Prince Albert Mayor Greg Dionne said in a press release on Tuesday.
“We have a throw-away culture. This ban is a first step in what needs to be a rethinking of what we are producing and how much we are sending to the landfill.
“I know many people have found a second use for some of these plastic bags, but the truth is that many are ending up in our landfill and littered throughout our community.”
The bylaw was passed in November 2019 with fines and enforcement originally set to take effect on Aug. 1, 2020.
The city announced in June 2020 that a motion was passed to temporarily suspend the bylaw until Saskatchewan’s state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic was declared over. All public health measures were lifted in the province on July 11; however, some have since been brought back.
The ban will apply to plastic bags — including biodegradable plastic — distributed at checkout counters, with some exceptions such as items purchased in bulk.
Prince Albert businesses are permitted to distribute paper and reusable bags for customers that may need them.