Colwood Council is considering a checkout bag bylaw to limit plastic bag waste in our community and the region's landfill. Many stores in our community have already adopted this practice.

The proposed bylaw is similar to those in Victoria, Saanich and Esquimalt to maintain consistency for businesses and customers throughout the region.

On February 25, 2019, Council gave two readings to a proposed bylaw which includes the following:

• prohibits a business from selling or providing a customer with a plastic checkout bag;
• prohibits a business from providing a customer with a reusable or paper checkout bag free of charge (unless it has already been used and returned to the store for reuse);
• requires a business to charge a minimum of .25 cents for a paper checkout bag and $2.00 for a reusable bag;
• requires that a paper checkout bag must be made out of paper and contain at least 40% of post-consumer recycled paper content;
• contains exemptions to the plastic bag prohibition for specific types of goods (such as packaging or wrap for fruit, vegetables and meat);
• if adopted, it will come into effect January 1, 2020.

Information about the proposed bylaw will be available at City Hall, on the City website and online channels, through the West Shore Chamber of Commerce and in the local newspaper to raise awareness and invite input from businesses and residents. View the notice and advertisement.

The bylaw will come back to Council for consideration of final adoption later in 2019.

We welcome your questions + Input at info@colwood.ca.

Stop by City Hall and pick up a reusable Colwood bag! 

Background information

Read the staff report to Council with the draft Bylaw to Regulate Checkout Bags attached.